Time, It's All We Have
by loveyou4ever
Summary: Faith never went to jail, but she still murdered someone, but instead of become insane she let Buffy help her. This is season 7 from my mind lol, and prolly forward onto season 8. Enjoy. I know it's been a long time but i'm back with an update. Chapter 9!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or any of its characters, if I did the show wouldn't have ended…cuz I'm greedy like that and I miss my BTVS. LOL

Title: Time, It's All We Have

Pairings: Buffy/Faith

Summary: Faith never went to prison, she did kill the guy, but she let Buffy help her, and because of that help, they have become what they did in my story…re-write of season 8.

**Chapter One: Lessons Part One**

~Sunnydale, CA

The windows were open; the wind blowing into the bedroom was hot so it wasn't very refreshing. The two sleeping people in the bed kept moving further and further away from each other to try and gain some sort of coldness. Normally this position of sleeping was only used when they were fighting, normally they slept together, spooning one another, neither one of them would admit it, but they looked the feel of each other's body.

Except tonight.

Tonight it was just too damn hot.

"Ugh!" Could be heard from the room if someone was standing outside the door, which no one was so the sound went unheard, and so did the thud, the sound of someone hitting the floor. "This heat wave is killing me!" Faith shouts as she sits up in the bed and throws the covers off of her body. "B! You need to invest in air conditioning!" She shouts as she leans over the edge of the bed to see Buffy angrily looking up at her from the floor. "What?"

"You kicked me off the bed," she says simply and softly.

"So," Faith says as if it was nothing, just something that happens every day.

"Faith," Buffy says calmly as she stands up. She places both hands on the edge of the bed and leans over Faith. "You…pushed me…off…the…fucking…bed!" Her voice moves from a whisper to a yell.

"Geez B, quiet down before you wake the whole house," Faith says moving over so that Buffy can climb back into bed. "It's not like you're going to bruise or something," she says moving so that Buffy could move in close to her, and she does. She always does. "I'm sorry," Faith says as she slips her arms around Buffy's body and pulls her closer.

Despite the heat they easily fall asleep together.

…

~Istanbul

The streets were dark; the only light coming from the windows, but it was not nearly enough for someone to see, especially when running through the street, for your life. They were chasing her, she didn't know why and she didn't care, all she cared about was staying alive for one more day, one more day so that she would be able to see her family again, so that she'd be able to fall in love, get married and have children. That's all she really wanted, that's it, but they didn't care what she wanted, all they wanted was for her to be dead.

She wasn't the type of person to do thing, actually she never does anything, she just goes about her life, working and doing life things. So she didn't know the reason they were after her, she didn't have the slightest idea. Then again she didn't care. She just concentrated on not tripping. She didn't want to trip, they were too close, she wouldn't have time to get back up and continue running.

That's when it happened.

That's when they caught her.

She was on her back in an instant, her hands above her hand. One guy holding them while the other straddles her hips with a knife above his head. _Family. _That was the last thought before the knife was jammed into her, killing her, as the last breathe left her she saw everyone she loved in an instant.

And then it was black.

…

~Sunnydale, CA

The heat wave was finally subsiding, it had been going on for weeks now, but tonight, tonight it was cooler. Buffy silently thanks whomever was listening for that, because if she had to go out another night slaying in a tiny tank top and short shorts she thought the vamps would start hitting on her instead of trying to kill her, Faith wouldn't like that, in fact she might kill every last one of them in one night, and as cool as that sounded Buffy knew that she would get killed in the process.

Although tonight wasn't out here with Faith. Tonight she was out here with Dawn. Yes that's right, her little sister Dawn, that same girl who used to be a big ball of energy, Dawn. Faith had insisted that Buffy teach her about slaying because she knew that neither Buffy nor she would be able to be with Dawn every second of everyday to keep her safe. So she used to her super girlfriend powers to convince Buffy to train her.

"The most important thing for you to remember is to never underestimate your enemy." Buffy says as she walking through the tombstones. As much as Buffy loved that Faith cared about her sister, she was just annoyed that every time Dawn went out to learn Buffy was the one that trained her, not Faith, no Faith patrolled alone and then went home and went to sleep before. She couldn't even wait up for Buffy to come home, no she was too tired. That's all she's been doing lately, sleeping. It's been driving Buffy crazy, and right now she was afraid that she was going to snap at someone.

"I know Buffy, geez this isn't my first night out with you," Dawn says as she comes up to walk beside Buffy.

"I do not care how many nights you've been out here!" Buffy turns to her snapping at her. "I'm sorry," she says bowing her head. "That's just something you never have to forget because when you do that's the night you die," she says more softly.

"What's wrong with you Buffy?" Dawn asks sounding suddenly worried.

"Doesn't matter," she says. Then she stops. "No wait it does matter," Dawn turns to look at her, silently asking her to continue. "Faith, she's been sleepy," she says.

"So…" Dawn says not getting it and Buffy just keeps looking at her. Dawn's eyes widen. "Buffy! Ew gross!" She says yelling. "I don't need to hear about your sex life!" She says turning around and looking away from her sister.

"Lack thereof," Buffy says under her breath. Dawn turns around and looks at her sternly. "Sorry," she says turning around and gesturing to the tombstone they were standing next to her. "He's about to wake up," she comment as if it was the last thing she wants to talk about.

"Finally," she says, crossing her arms across her cheat, stake in hand, waiting. As if on cue hand shout out from the ground, clawing at the grass above, and soon hands turned into wrists, wrists turned into elbows and elbows turned into shoulder. Before she knew it the head was showing in full vamp face and he was looking at her, with hunger in his eyes. Dawn could see it, and she didn't like it. "Buffy?" Dawn asks panicking.

"Focus," is all Buffy says. The vamp looks at her, then at Dawn, and then back at her. "She's all yours," she says pointing at Dawn. "Trust me, you don't want to mess with me, she's easy," she finishes.

"Buffy!" Dawn says this time with a scared tone in her voice.

"Do not underestimate him, do not think you have an easy kill because you don't," she explains. Dawn nods. "He's strong, but you have the power," Buffy continues to say as she circles Dawn and the vampire; he's getting ready to attack her. And as if on cue the vampire goes for Dawn, and she does what any scared girl would do, she goes for the kill; of course he ducks away from it easily and gets in behind her.

He wraps his arms around her and he has a perfect opening to her neck. "Buffy!" Dawn yells.

Buffy grabs the vampire from behind turns him around. "Never let them get the advantage," Buffy says as she jams the stake into his chest and the vampire bursts into dust. "That was the first lesson," she says walking forward, Dawn follows.

"So we're done for tonight?" Dawn asks.

"Yes," Buffy says simply. "You have a bigger fight coming tomorrow," she says simply. Dawn follows Buffy with her head hanging low.

…

When Buffy and Dawn arrived home the house was dark, but a faint sound could be heard from upstairs, the sound of a TV and shower, which meant Faith was home. "I'll see you in the morning," Buffy says as Dawn heads upstairs. Buffy makes her way into the kitchen, right for the refrigerator, but before she opens it she notices a note.

_B, come upstairs, I have your yogurt. _Buffy smiles as she opens the fridge, grabs a water and makes her way upstairs. When she and Faith first got together no one was sure of what was going to happen, hell even they weren't sure what they were doing. But it's a year later and they're going strong. Sure they've had their moments, but they've made it through them, and they've been better off for it. At this moment Buffy couldn't imagine what her life would be like if her and Faith never admitted their true feelings for one another.

Buffy climbs the stairs and as she does she notices that it isn't the TV that she hears, which is what she thought it was when she first entered the house. When Faith moved in with her she insisted on getting a different TV for their bedroom, she refused to watch black and white. Opening the door to their bedroom she notices that there are rose petals on the bed and candles are lit around the room. Buffy sets the bottled water on the table by the door. "Faith?" Buffy calls out.

The shower isn't running anymore. "I know I've been distant lately," turning around Buffy sees Faith standing by the window. "I know I haven't been giving you what you want," she says as she walks towards Buffy who has since closed the door.

"What, you have been, what are you talking about," Buffy says as she feels Faith's arms go around her pulling her closer. "Faith…"

"Buffy," Faith usually only says her full name when she's mad or when she has something she really needs to say. "I'm a slayer too, I know what you need after a night of patrolling," she says smirking and Buffy looks away blushing. "And I know that I haven't been giving that to you, instead I've been sleeping," she says cupping her face. "I'm sorry," are the only words spoken before Faith presses her lips against Buffy's. Buffy's fingers are in Faith's hair making their kiss deeper, expressing all the need and want that she has had bottled up for the past month. Faith's arms move to encircle her and soon she is lifted up off the ground and the next thing she knows is the feeling of their bed against her back and Faith's body weight on top of hers. Faith pulls away slightly looking at Buffy. "I love you." She says.

"I love you too," Buffy says before their lips are together again. As Faith's kisses become more passionate Buffy finally realizes the song that is playing. Their song, the song that was playing in the Bronze when Faith first told Buffy that she loved her. Buffy brought their lips together again, and this time her kiss was full of love. The love that she felt for the woman above her, the woman that has changed so much over the years. The woman she can't imagine her life without.

Her life as she knew it was finally perfect.

…

The next morning Buffy awoke to the sound of Xander's voice in her house. Sometimes slayer hearing could be a burden, especially when ones girlfriend kept her up all night, and had offered to bring her little sister to school so that she could sleep in. But no of course not, that wasn't Buffy's luck. Getting out of bed she made her way downstairs, leaning against the doorway and watched as Dawn sat at the table eating cereal, Faith was looking through the drawers for the present that they had gotten for Dawn, and Xander was sitting with back to her.

"It's in the far drawer, the second one down," Buffy said. Xander jumped as he turned around, Dawn looked up at her, and Faith reached into the drawer that Buffy said before turning around and looking at Xander.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"I told you she would hear you," she says as she walks over to where Buffy is standing. "Morning," she says into her ear as she kisses her on the cheek. "Sorry you didn't get to sleep in, some people just don't know what an 'inside voice' is." She comments.

"Hey," Buffy says reaching for her hand and pulling her back towards her. "Thank you," she says so only that Faith could hear. Faith turns to her, winks, and then walks into the kitchen.

"Does this mean Buffy is taking me to school?" Dawn says loudly so that Faith can hear her in the kitchen,

"Yeah," Buffy said from where she was leaning.

"You don't have to B," Faith says looking at her. Knowing what Buffy went through while she was at high school and what exactly happened to them when Buffy was in high school. It is something that they don't talk about, a past that they don't bring up. They have an understanding about what happened between them, they don't need to bring it up every day in order to get through the day.

"I want to," she says. "I'm going to go up and change, I'll be back down in ten minutes," she says as she turns and runs upstairs.

Faith watches as she leaves and then she hands Dawn a small little box. "I know High School is a scary place, especially one that is right on the Hellmouth, speaking of which, why the hell did the build it on the same spot as the old high school," Faith says. Xander shrugs. "Anyway, I convinced your sister to get that for you, and it wasn't easy, you Summers women are so stubborn sometimes it's ridiculous." Faith finishes.

"Is it a knife?" Dawn says as she opens the box. "A cell phone?" Dawn says looking up at Faith with a huge smile on her face. "You actually convinced her?" She says jumping up and hugging Faith. "You must have her whipped!" She exclaims.

Faith laughs. "No she doesn't," looking past Faith she sees Buffy standing behind her. "We better go or were going to be late, and you are so not having a high school career like mine," Buffy says smirking. Dawn glances down as Buffy squeezes Faith's hand. "I'll see you later?" Faith nods. Looking back at Xander Faith scrunches her eyebrows, confused.

"Of course," she says.

"Okay, good," With that Buffy, Dawn, and Xander leave out the front door.

"You didn't tell her?" Someone says from behind Faith. "Last night, all the work you did, that was supposed to be the night, the moment to tell her the truth," the person said.

"I'm not ready, it isn't time, it's too soon, I love her," Faith says not turning back to see who it was, she didn't need to. She'd be able to identify that voice anywhere. "I need her."

"And that's why you have to tell her the truth! About why you did that last night," the person says.

"I will," she says sternly. Turning around she looks the person in the eye. Reaching in she grabs the item out of her pocket. "Buffy will love this when I give it to her, no matter when that moment is," she continues.

"Then what are you scared of?" they ask.

"That she won't say yes," Faith says honestly putting the ring back in her pocket. "That she'll say no," she finishes turning back around. Faith continues to look out the window as Xander's car pulls away. The person that was standing behind her leaves, she can feel their presence disappear.

…

Author's Note: All the episodes are going to be broken up.

Should I continue?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or any of its characters, if I did the show wouldn't have ended…cuz I'm greedy like that and I miss my BTVS. LOL

Title: Time, It's All We Have

Pairings: Buffy/Faith

Summary: Faith never went to prison, she did kill the guy, but she let Buffy help her, and because of that help, they have become what they did in my story…re-write of season 8.

**Chapter Two: Lessons Part Two**

The halls of the new high school are scary similar to the halls of the old high school. Walking through them Buffy can't help but remember all the times she walked the halls of Sunnydale high, all the times she spent running through the halls of Sunnydale high chasing demons saving people. Her time at Sunnydale high was ten times different than what she us hoping Dawn's is like. Which is part of the reason she is still here instead of back at home relaxing before her shift at the Doublemeat Palace, she wants to make sure that there is nothing wrong with this place. After all the smart people of Sunnydale built the new school in the same spot as the old school, right on top of the Hellmouth. So far everything looked fine, which wasn't exactly a comfort.

"Ms. Summers?" Turning at the sound of her name being called she notice Robin Wood standing behind her with his arms folded across his chest. He's the principle of the new high school; they had met earlier when Buffy was dropping off Dawn. "You're still here?" he says questioning her.

"Yeah I'm just checking things out," she says honestly, not once do her eyes move away from his. "I hope you don't mind," she says testing him. If he has something to hide than she is going to find out what it is. There has to be a reason he took this job, I mean everyone knows what happened to the old school so either he is getting paid a butt load of money or he's evil. Buffy is hoping for the later.

"No I don't mind at all," he says backing away from her slightly. "Try to stay out of trouble," he comments, which doesn't go unnoticed by Buffy. She looks at him confused, "Uh, it's just that…"

"Excuse me," she says as her phone starts to ring. She walks into the girl bathroom for some privacy. "Hey, what's up, I'm kinda busy," she says as she checks herself out in the mirror.

"You were just supposed to drop her off B, what are you doing? We had plans today," Faith says on the other end of the line.

"I'm just making sure it's safe," she says putting some of her hair back into place. "I know we had plans and I'm sorry but something doesn't feel right about this place. And the principle, well he seems a little off," she comments leaning against the wall. Just as she is about to say something else she notices something on the sink, walking over she picks it up, and once she does she feels someone else in the room, and when she looks up in the mirror she sees a girl standing behind her. "Faith I have to go, uh, there is a dead girl standing behind me," she says as she goes to hang up the phone. She can hear Faith on the phone not telling her to hang up, but she cut her off when she closed her phone.

"You can't protect her, you couldn't protect me," she says and when Buffy goes to turn around no one is standing there and she is alone in the bathroom. When she turns back towards the mirror someone is running towards her screaming 'get out' and she backs up against the wall.

"Xander, need to see Xander," she says as she leaves the bathroom.

…

The sun is shining, yet Willow is sitting in the grass with a jacket and jeans on. This past year has been a tough one for her, which is why she wasn't upset with Giles when he suggested that she come to England with him to learn how to control her magic. She knows that she got out of control, that she let the magic within her define who she was and because of that she almost killed her friends, she almost killed everyone. That is so far from whom she is, that she didn't hesitate to go with Giles.

Sure she is missing her friends and her family, but she knows that she isn't ready to go home yet, she isn't sure that she can be thrown back into the world of the slayer and be tempted by magic, she's doesn't think she'd be able resist temptation. In front of her a flower grows out of the ground and she stares at it. "That doesn't belong there," turning at the voice Willow watches as Giles approaches her from the side.

"I know," Willow says and when she looks back at the flower it is gone. "I can feel it all Giles," she says looking back at him as he kneels down next to her. "The earth, the sky, everything around me, something is coming," she says. "Something big." She says looking back at the ground. "Am I right?" She asks.

"Are you ready to go home?" He asks avoiding her question which lets Willow know that she was indeed right.

"No," she says honestly.

…

Xander and Buffy are standing in the dining room leaning over the table looking at plans, more specifically the high school plans. Buffy asked him to bring the plans for the old school and the new school to her house on his lunch break. She needed to know the ins and outs of that school in as little time as possible. Something was happening there and she wanted to find out what it is before it starts to affect Dawn. Faith comes walking into the dining room where they are studying the plans and grabs Buffy's arm.

Buffy makes a huff as Faith pulls her away from where Xander is standing. He looks at her for a second but then looks back towards the plans. "Buffy, what are you doing?" She asks her honestly. Buffy just looks at her confused so Faith continues. "Not every situation is an evil one," she says honestly.

"When I see a dead girl it constitutes evilness," she says matter-of-factly.

"Maybe you're seeing what you want to see," Faith says honestly crossing her arms across her chest.

"I know you're not serious," Buffy says placing her hands on her hips and looking at Faith. Her look is a mixture between anger and hurt. "Faith, listen," Buffy says stepping closer, placing her hands on Faith's arms and running her hands up and down her arms in a soothing manor. "I know we were supposed to spend the day together, and I'm sorry that we didn't, but I'm not imaging this," she says leaning up and kissing Faith on the cheek. "Please believe me," she says looking Faith in the eye.

"Buffy," she says stepping away from her slightly and Buffy looks at her hurt, and quickly Faith steps back to where she was and she cups Buffy's face before kissing her. "Don't think that," she says quietly so that Xander doesn't hear her, "it's just that…" she trails off.

"What is it?" Buffy asks reaching and grabbing her hand, interlacing their fingers.

"I had something important I wanted to ask you today," she says honestly looking away from Buffy. "Something important," she says again.

"Ask me now," Buffy says stepping closer, now she is as close and she could possibly get.

"Buffy," Buffy turns to look at Xander. "I'm ready," he comments. Buffy looks at Xander and then at Faith, then back at Xander. Buffy reaching up and cups her face apologizing with her eyes before walking back over to Xander. "As we know the Hellmouth in the old school was under the library, now," he trails off pointing.

"It's over the principal's office," Buffy comments.

"So the principal's evil?" Faith asks coming to said beside the table, looking down at the plans lying before them. Faith looks up at them, "what? What's going on?" She asks looking at Buffy who has suddenly started looking at everyone but Faith. "Buffy, what's going on," she says pointedly. "Xander?" She says when Buffy looks at him.

"Uh," he says looking scared. "Just for the record, I don't want to be in the middle of a slayer relationship," he comments pointing at both of them. Faith crosses her arms and keeps her eyes on him. "Principle Wood kinda sorta hit on Buffy," he said. Faith's eyes moved to Buffy and stayed there while Xander continued talking. "And he offered her a job as a guidance counselor," he continue rolling up the plans and walking out of the house leaving the two of them alone.

"Uh, Buffy," Faith says grabbing a hold of her arm and forcing her to look at her.

"He was so not hitting on me," she says looking into Faith's eyes.

"You're a horrible liar B," Faith says.

"I gotta go baby," she says leaning up and kissing Faith before rushing out the door and jumping in the car with Xander.

"This can't be happening," Faith says throwing her hands up into the air. "No!" She says shouting. "This isn't you Faith; you're not the person to sit in a house all day waiting for someone, no matter who it is!" She says to herself as she grabs her keys and walks out the front door.

…

There is nothing more boring than sitting in class, especially for a teenage girl. Dawn hated class, when she heard that the high school was no more here in Sunnydale she was more than happy to move her. Yet when she discovered that they were rebuilding the high school, she was a little upset, which may in fact be the understatement of the century. But then again she couldn't really express it because she was too busy trying to save the world from her sister's best friend. It was defiantly a long summer.

That's what she doesn't understand, she could be out saving the world right now with her sister, but no, instead she's in class learning about stuff that doesn't have anything to do with her life. She saves the world! Okay well she helps save the world, sometimes, but only when it is necessary.

She feels someone tap on her shoulder, "may I borrow a pencil," the person besides her asks. How irresponsible, you come to school on your first day back and you forget your pencil, what a loser.

Upon giving the guy next to a pencil she watches in horror as he brings the pencil up and jams it in his eye. Screaming she falls out of the chair trying to get away. Once she hits the floor all of reality comes flooding back to her and Dawn realizes that she was just daydreaming. Looking around the room everyone is staring at her, some with amused looks on their faces. _Great now my high school life is going to be just like Buffy's_. Dawn gets up, "may I be excused?" she asks and the teacher nods.

She rushes out of the classroom. Thankfully the girl's bathroom is right across the hall from her classroom so she doesn't have to go very far. "What the hell is wrong with you," she says to herself as she looks in the mirror and fixes her hair. Not that it's going to help or anything; she has ruined her chances at being popular. "Hello?" she says looking behind her as she hears sniffles. "Is someone there?" she asks standing outside a stale. Pushing it open slowly. "Are you okay?" She asks when she notices a girl sitting there crying.

"Is she gone?" She asks looking up at dawn with makeup streaking down her face.

"Who?" Dawn asks looking around the room.

"There was a girl in here," she says. "A dead girl," she adds on which causes Dawn to snap look back at the girl on the toilet. "Is she gone?" she asks again.

"I think so," Dawn says trying to store this story in her mind so that she can tell Buffy later. She takes the girls hand and leads her out of the stale, yet once they are both outside the stale, the whole room starts to shake, and then before they know it the floor opens up and they are dropped down into the basement. "What the…" Dawn says looking up into the bathroom. She looks back at the girl, "what'da say we try and find a way out?" she asks and the girl nods. "Buffy's gonna be pissed," Dawn mumbles in her breath.

…

Buffy is walking through the hallways with a purpose, but she is silently hoping that the principle doesn't notice she's here; she doesn't want to have to come up with an explanation about why she is back here. Walking through the door to the bathroom with Xander at her side, they walk in to find a hole in the floor. "Uh, that wasn't there earlier today," Buffy comments.

"I know I built a floor here," Xander says confused.

"So what happen to it?" Buffy asks.

"I'm guessing it fell," Xander commented.

"Okay," Buffy says turning to Xander. "Uh, there was a little thingy mabob, and it was in here earlier when I say the dead ghost or zombie thing," Buffy says looking at me.

"Ghost, zombie, huh?" Xander asked confused.

"Right I forgot to tell you that part," Buffy said. "Just never mind, find that thing, and then call Faith, and explain everything and figure out how the hell to get rid of these things," Buffy says jumping into the hole in the floor. "I'm going to find Dawn."

…

Faith is storming down the sidewalk. This was stupid. Buffy had changed her so much in the past few years since they first got together. It was awesome how it happened. The way Buffy had chosen her over Angel. Buffy was so scared that Faith didn't think they were going to make it. Not that Faith wasn't scared because she was, she was terrified, and she knew that Buffy was the only one that could domesticate her, kinda. Buffy was the only one that Faith would give herself to, faithfully.

The first night they made love, it was magical. Buffy was nervous and Faith was scared. Yet it was all perfect. Faith had set up candles and rose petals and somehow convinced Buffy's mom to go stay at a hotel. She never did explain to Buffy how she was able to do it. But it didn't come easy, or cheap.

"Hello," Faith answers her cell phone as she takes a seat outside the espresso pump. This is where Buffy kissed her, in public; it was how she told her friends about them, and their relationship. "Slow down Xander, I honestly don't understand what you're saying," she says pinching the bridge of her nose as she listens to Xander rant. "Wait!" Faith shouts, everyone around her is suddenly staring. "What is Buffy doing?" She asks slightly quieter. "Okay, I'm on my way," she says getting up and running.

…

Author's Note: Here is part 2…the last part will be up soon. I love reviews they make me happy.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or any of its characters, if I did the show wouldn't have ended…cuz I'm greedy like that and I miss my BTVS. LOL

Title: Time, It's All We Have

Pairings: Buffy/Faith

Summary: Faith never went to prison, she did kill the guy, but she let Buffy help her, and because of that help, they have become what they did in my story…re-write of season 8.

**Chapter Three: Lessons Part Three **

"Excuse me," Faith stops as someone steps out in front of her. "I'm Principle Wood; can I help you find someone?" He asks but Faith is too busy looking around trying to find where Xander said the bathroom was. Taking a step forward Wood puts a hand on her arm stopping her. "Can I help you?" He asks stressing the words.

"You don't know me, which was obvious when you put your hands on me," Faith says swiping her arm away from this man standing in front of her. The man who hit on Buffy, he isn't bad looking, and she guessing that if she and Buffy weren't together Buffy might have actually flirted back. But then again Faith doesn't really know what happened between the two of them this afternoon; Buffy might have flirted, maybe not, either way it doesn't matter. This guy attempted to hit on his girl, he's lucky she doesn't kill him where he stands. "I'm looking for the bathroom," she says simply as if it is some natural thing.

"You're not a student here," he says crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well duh," Faith says. "My friend, Xander Harris is do construction here, and he asked for help, I just need to use the bathroom," she says calmly. "Aren't ladies allowed to pee?" She asks smirking and tilting her head to the side. She notices the look on his face and she wants so badly to laugh. Men are so easy. "If you don't mind," Faith says side stepping him and walking past. She doesn't need to turn around; she can feel his eyes on her. Does he seriously think he has a chance, probably, but then again he doesn't know that her heart belongs to Buffy, and once you love Buffy you love no one else. "Xander?" she calls out as she peeks her head into one of the girls bathrooms.

"Faith," Xander says and she sighs. "Thank god," he says upon seeing her.

"Where's Buffy?" she asks when she doesn't see her blonde lover anywhere in the bathroom. Her eyes look down the hole in the floor. "She's so reckless," Faith says simply as she runs her fingers through her hair. "Have you found a thingy?" She asks him.

"A thingy?" he asks. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," she says.

"You have been hanging around Buffy for way to long," he says and she just looks at him confused. "She called it a thingy mabob," he says matter-of-factly.

"Well what would you call it?" She asks crossing her arms across her chest.

"Uh," he says looking up trying to think of something smarter to say than 'thingy' or 'thingy mabob'. "Fine," he says looking away from her and when he turns to look back at her she's gone. "Faith!" He yells into the hole after her. "You were supposed to help me find it!"

"Sorry Xand, I was never one to do the sidekicks job," she says taking off.

"Great," Xander says throwing his hands in the air. "Slayer's and their egos."

…

"Dawn?" Buffy yells as she looks around corners as she walks around what she is guessing to be the basement of the high school. It's a creepy looking basement for a high school. The floor is dirt, Buffy figured since they were doing construction on it they could at least put some concrete down. Even the old school had concrete.

"You won't be able to protect her!" Turning around Buffy notices the same janitor that was in the girl's bathroom when she was in there earlier.

"Can't talk right now I'm busy," Buffy says turning away from janitor and when she turns around she notices a tall skinny nerdy look kid standing in front of her now. "Oh great," she says putting her hands on her waist. "What I wasn't able to save you either?" She ask clearly frustrated.

"She will die down here, you'll be too late," he says.

"Excuse me," Buffy says as she reaches in and grabs her cell phone. "Wow reception is awesome," she comments seeing her sister's name on the caller ID. "Dawn, where are you?" She says and when she looks up both the janitor and the teenager are gone. "Thank god," she says under her breathe and she continues to walk.

…

"Buffy, I need help," Dawn says. She's looking around her trying to find something that will be able to tell her where she is, also something that will help Buffy find them. While she and the girl from the stale were down here they ended up running into some kid. At first Dawn couldn't tell if he was just another ghost or if he was actually a real person, but when she saw the cigarette she knew. "Me and two other people in down here with these crazy ghost things following us around," she comments.

"So their ghosts, not zombies?" Buffy asks.

"Well I don't know they haven't…" she is cut off by the hand choking her. Her eyes widen with shock as she stares at the dead janitor standing before her.

"She will not save you!" He yells.

…

"It's like a freaking maze down here," Faith mumbles to herself as she turns another dark corner. Just as she's about to turn another corner she notice something out of the corner of her eye. "Buffy? Dawn?" She calls out as she turns and starts walking in the other direction. "Hello?" She calls out again when no one answers. "Great Faith, now you're seeing things," she mumbles turning back around and walking the way she was before. Yet before she is able to take a step she is stopped by someone standing in front of her. "Spike?" She asks looking up at the vampire. He just looks at her. Something was wrong with him, that much was clear, but then again Faith wasn't someone to care.

"You son of a bitch," she says rearing back and punching him in the face. He steps back slightly so that there is more space between the two of them. "How dare you show your face here after what you did to her!" She yells and as she is about to charge him someone appears before her, someone who appears to already be dead. "Who the hell are you?" Faith asks him.

"You won't be able to protect her," he says rearing back and bringing a pipe down on Faith. And Faith being too distracted by Spike's sudden laughing. The guy in front of her continues to hit her with the pipe before she is able to grab a hold of it.

Yet when she gets to her fight ready to fight back the guy is gone. "What the fuck," she says noticing that not only is the guy done but so is Spike. "Time to find Buffy and Dawn and get the hell out of here," she says to herself getting a better grip on the pipe and walking down the dark corridor.

…

"I cannot believe that I am in here crawling around on the girls bathroom floor," Xander comments to himself as he peeks around the toilet to see if the 'thingy' was back there. It wasn't. Getting to his feet he carefully maneuvers himself so that he doesn't fall down the hole and into the other stale. "This is stupid, why do I have to be the one doing this, why couldn't I be blessed with powers," he grumbles. "Stupid slayers and their stupid slayer powers."

…

"My sister is going to kick your ass," Dawn says as she swings a purse full of books that she had gotten from the girl how feel through the hole with her. Who she later found out was Kit. Dawn falls to the ground after coming into contact with nothing. She wasn't ready for this, Buffy and Faith hadn't finished training her. She wasn't ready. Buffy has only taught her about vampires, not about ghost zombie people. There was too much more she needed to learn.

"Why are you after us?" Kit says through tears. She scared and Dawn understands that but does she understand that she is asking unnecessary questions to ghost zombie things. Probably not.

"Why wouldn't we pick you?" A girl appears next to Kit and she screams. "No one will care when you're gone, just like no one cared about us," she says watching as Dawn once again tries to hit the janitor. "You will be stuck her just like we are," she adds on and just as she appeared she disappeared.

"You're wrong," Dawn says not bothering to turn around. "People care about us, people will miss us, people will save us," she says and then she gets knocked down by the janitor. "Damnit," she mumbles.

"Dawn?" Buffy says as she enters through the door. The janitor turns around and swings something at her, she doesn't quite see it because she drives underneath whatever it was and kneels next to Dawn. "Hey, weapon?" Buffy asks and Dawn hands her the bag before she moves away from the oncoming attack. Buffy moves out of the way. She twirls the bag in her hand, getting momentum behind it, and then bringing it into contact with the janitor sending him flying into the wall. "Can't say she didn't warn you."

"You'll pay for that," the girl says as she appears behind Buffy. Before Buffy has a chance to bring the bag around on the girl, the girl disappears.

…

"Yes! Talisman!" Xander shouts as he lifts it in the air, and just as he does someone jumps on his back and he drops it. "Hey!" He yells trying to get the girl off his back and get to the talisman in time so that he can get rid of these things, whatever they were. They could touch you so they weren't just ghosts, but they could appear and disappear so they weren't zombies either.

Just as soon as he felt the girl jump on him she was gone. Looking up Xander notices Faith grabbing her, but then she disappears. "Xander, break it!" She yells as she points underneath the sink to where it is lying. He dives under the sink and grabs just in time for the girl to reappear. "Just give up!" Faith shouts,

"She'll never love you like you love her," the girl says and Faith hesitates in punching her, which allows the girl to get a hit in on Faith sending her inside the hole and back down into the basement.

Xander breaks the talisman and the girl disappears, but instead of rejoyceing in his win, he crawls towards the hole and looks down. "Faith?" He yells down but she doesn't answer. "Faith don't move, I'm gonna find a way down," he says looking around the room.

"No!" She says groaning. "No, I'm fine," she says opening her eyes but she still doesn't move. "Just go get some rope so you can get me out of here," she say. "Oh and Xander," he peeks his head into the hole again. "Buffy doesn't hear about this," he nods and then leaves.

…

"Did we win?" the boy asks from where he was hiding.

"Yeah, Xander must have came through," she said looking around. "Who are they?" Buffy asks looking at Dawn.

"That's Carlos, he was down here when Kit and I fell through the bathroom floor," she says and the she looks at Buffy confused. "I'm not going to have a normal high school experience am I?" she asks and Buffy shakes her head. "Great."

"Let's get outta here," she says.

…

Opening the door from the basement back to the main floor of the school Buffy looks out before she gives the all clear for them to all leave. Seeing no one in the hallway she moves so that the three teenagers behind her can come out after her. "Well I guess we're headed back to class," Dawn says looking at the two people standing next to her and then at Buffy.

"Don't worry, you guys are gonna be fine," Buffy says smiling.

"Thanks, really," Kit says leaning in and giving Buffy a hug.

Buffy looks at Dawn with a confused look. "No problem," she says. After Kit moves away from Buffy Dawn leans in and gives her sister a kiss. "I'll see you later," she says shrugging. "I have to find Faith and work on damage control," she says smiling.

"I'm sure she'll forgive you," Dawn says and she walks away following the other two.

"Yeah," Buffy says turning around and almost running into the principle. "We have to stop meeting like this," she says looking up at him.

"Huh," he says looking past her. She follows his gaze and then turns to look back at him. "Those two, you know the two who aren't your sister, they are actually going to class. That's weird," he says looking at her.

"Why?" She asks.

"Their files are almost, and I stress almost, as thick as yours," he says.

"You've read my file?"

"The school board said I should look into it, and I have to say it was a very interesting read," he comments. She just looks at him. "You managed to get them to go to class, that is very surprising," he says looking past her at the retreating teenagers. "I did not expect that," he finishes. "You know Miss Summers, something tells me that this place," he pauses to look at her. "It was made for you," he says.

If he wasn't so creepy Buffy might have smiled. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asks.

He smiles. "The students here need someone their own age, someone to help them along," he explained. "You already have the two worst students headed to class; I think you'd be good at the job. But we wouldn't be able to pay you a lot and it would only be a couple days a week, but I think it'd help this school out a lot," he explained.

"Are you asking me to be a counselor?" she asks.

"We already have a guidance counselor; maybe you could help her out, you know…"

Buffy notices Faith standing behind Wood as Xander walks away, she looks pissed. "I'm in," Buffy says quickly, her eyes not moving from Faith's.

"You heard the part about the money right?" He asked.

"Yeah I heard, it's cool," she says as she notices Faith turning and walking away. "You have to deal with my funtastic schedule and I'll deal with the lack of money," she says with a laugh.

"Check me out, my first day and I already bullied my first family member into helping out," he says as he starts to walk away. "I'm gonna be the best principle yet," he exclaims as he walks into a crowd full of students.

…

Buffy had looked everywhere for Faith when she was done with the principle, but she was gone. So the next possible place that Faith could be was home, cause the look on her face told Buffy that Faith really wanted to talk, and Buffy was guessing that if she didn't show up at home soon Faith wouldn't be forgiving her anytime soon. The only reason Buffy knew Faith was here was because her car was in the driveway. Walking in the house Buffy looked around and Faith was nowhere to be seen. She checked around the corner and looked into the kitchen and it was empty, the next place would be upstairs and if she wasn't upstairs than she was more than likely outside, probably smoking, but that was unlikely since Faith promised she was going to quiet.

"Faith?" Buffy calls out to her.

"Upstairs," she hears her yell. Buffy takes the steps two at a time. When she reaches the top she all but runs to her room. But she doesn't, she doesn't want to seem needy. "You know, I needed to talk to you today, all day, I had something on my mind, but you didn't seem to care," Faith says as she picking up her discarded clothes around the room. "You were too worried about Dawn going back to school, but you wanna know the worst part," she asks turning around to look at Buffy. "You had all reason to be worried, we the zombie things after her, I mean I can't even be mad at you for that." She paused sitting on the bed. "Xander called me, that's why I was there," she says.

"Oh," she says walking closer to the bed and taking a seat next to Faith. She reaches over and places her hand on hers. "I'm really sorry about today, but hey on the plus side I got a new job so no more smelling like fast food nastiness," she says turning so that she was facing Faith. "I really am sorry, I didn't expect this to happen, I only expected to be there for like twenty minutes or so," she says running her fingers through Faith's hair. Faith reaches into her pocket and pulls out a little box and Buffy's hand stops. "What's that?"

"I had this big ol' romantic thing planned." She says tossing the box on the bed, Buffy picks it up slowly. "I had all these things I wanted to say, all these things I wanted to tell you," she says turning to watch as Buffy open the box and as her eyes widen. The tears are forming in Buffy's eyes, she can see them. "I wanted to tell you how much I love you, and how you have changed me in so many way, and how loving you has made me a better person, there was so much I wanted to say," she says kneeling in front of Buffy. "But right now," Buffy looks at her. "The only words I can think to say are," she pauses and Buffy takes out the ring. "Will you marry me?"

…

"From beneath you it devours," Buffy shoots up in bed clutching the sheet to her body. She looks around the room at the complete darkness and then looks down at Faith's sleeping form next to her. Smiling she raises her hand so that she can see the ring as it sits upon her finger. Faith had asked her to marry her; she had asked her to be with her forever. It was so unlike Faith that Buffy couldn't believe it. Laying back down she closes her eyes as she feels Faith put her arm around her and bring their bodies closer together, she smiling as she once again falls asleep in her lover's arms.

…

"I had a speech," Spike says as he kneels down on the ground. "She wouldn't have understood, not after," he stops as he starts to rock back and forth pulling at his hair.

"I'm beyond her understand Sparky," Warren says as he comes walking behind Spike's kneeling form on the ground. "She's just a girl." She pauses. "I'm more than that, more than flesh…" as Warren is talking his body morphs into the form of Glory. "More than blood. I honestly don't think there is a word for what I am," she says laughing slightly and then she morphs into the demon Adam. "She's exactly where I want her to be," he says and then he morphs again into the Mayor. He kneels down so that he is eye level. "So you thought that everything was going to be easy when you got your soul back, but they're slippery little devils. Why do you think I got rid of mine," the mayor morphs into Drusilla. "You'll never be your own man, you'll always be mine," Drusilla turns into the Master. Standing straight up once again. "These next few months are going to be quiet a ride, things are going to be very interesting, and maybe we'll learn something about ourselves in the process. You're trying to do what's right," he pauses. "Just like her, but when will you get it, it isn't about what's right or about what's wrong," finally the Master turns into Buffy. "It's about power."

Spike stands and looks at her and she smiles.

...

Author's Note: Reviews, reviews, reviews! I love'em! :D


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or any of its characters, if I did the show wouldn't have ended…cuz I'm greedy like that and I miss my BTVS. LOL

Title: Time, It's All We Have

Pairings: Buffy/Faith

Summary: Faith never went to prison, she did kill the guy, but she let Buffy help her, and because of that help, they have become what they did in my story…re-write of season 7.

**Chapter Four: Beneath You**

_Her breathing was heavy as she ran through the streets, and because of the silence it could be heard echoing off the walls of the buildings she was passing. She didn't know why they were chasing her, but then again she didn't care, she just ran. If someone was chasing you would you stop to ask why or would you just run? Exactly. Coming to the end of the building, she climbs down the side, she didn't remember how she had managed to get on the roof, but she didn't really care about that either. Jumping down to the ground she jogged over to the door, she turned around to see if they were still behind her, they weren't. Taking a deep breath she opens the door, thinking she has made it, that she survived, but just as she is about to step through a hand covers her mouth and she is pulled back. She goes to scream but nothing comes out, she watches as another guy closes the door. She is brought to the ground, she tries to fight them off, but nothing happens, she fails. Eyes widen as she watches as the guy above her brings his knife down into her chest. That's when the release her and disappear leaving her to die, she can't move, she can't scream, she can't get any help. _

_Her head falls to the side, her eyes still wide and she speaks the words, "from beneath you it devours." _

Buffy shoots up in bed the sheet clinging around her body. "What is it?" Faith sits up next to her rubbing the sleep away from her eyes and she looks around the room for any signs of danger. Upon seeing none she turns to look at Buffy who is still sitting there looking into the darkness, breathing heavily. "B?"

"There was girl," Buffy says looking at her. She can see the concern in Faith's eyes, and she smiles. "It was just a dream Faith," she says leaning in and kissing her. "More like a nightmare," she comments and she stands up, getting out of the bed. Walking over to the window, she looks out into the night, the night that is slowly turning to morning. Earlier on her and Faith were out in the night, fighting, killing, slaying, and everything seemed fine, yet looking out into it now, something is different. "From beneath you it devours," she says. Faith comes up behind her and wraps her arms around her from behind. Buffy reaches down and interlaces their fingers. "That's what the girl said, in my dream." She pauses looking back up and out the window. "There are more like her Faith," turning around she wraps her arms around Faith's neck, hugging her. "And they're going to die," she whispers in her ear and Faith wraps her arms around Buffy holding her tighter as she looks out the window.

…

Basements are nasty places, but it is the perfect place for Spike, at least that's what he thinks. He hasn't had any blood in a couple days, not since he moved into the basement of the high school and it hadn't been bothering him, but ever since he saw Buffy he has a taste for blood. So currently he is crawling on the ground towards a rat that is sitting atop a box. Spike eyes do not move from where the rat is, they are set on their target. Just as he is about to pounce on the rat, the walls start to shake and everything starts to rumble, like an earthquake.

"No, it's not time, I'm not ready," Spike says moving his eyes away from his meal and towards the ceiling. "I need to make them understand!" He shouts. Spike winces as the room starts to shake more violently. "Stop! Please!" He shouts as he hands fly to his head, gripping chunks of his hair. Spike falls to his knees and he looks toward the ceiling as he starts to scream as things around him begin to fall.

…

"So why couldn't Faith drive you?" Xander asks as he looks over at his best friend. "Not that I mind, because I don't, but I thought for sure she'd want to be here for this. Seeing you off to work," he says smiling.

"This is so very exciting," Dawn says as she peeks her head in-between the seats.

"Faith has work this morning," Buffy says.

"Buff," she looks towards Xander. "Her morning starts at noon," he says simply.

"I kept her up late," she says smirking at him. His eyes widen and he nods as his eyes look back towards the road.

"That's gross," Dawn says from the back seat. Dawn sits back in the seat, looking out the front window. "Listen Buffy as excited as I am about you new job, you do know that you cannot talk to me, or even look at me, or anything like that, you must act as if I'm invisible," she says coming back towards the front of the car looking at her sister intently.

"I doubt we'll be seeing much of one another," Buffy said glancing at her slightly out of the corner of her. "That's if I understand my fuzzy job description," she says with a slight laugh.

"It's not fuzzy," Xander says.

"Yeah," Dawn says. "You help troubled teenagers," she comments proudly as if it was nothing.

"Which," Xander says holding up his finger. Looking at the two Summers girls. "Is exactly what you did in high school when you were a student," he paused. "Expect, instead of saving them from vampires and demons, you're now protecting them from either boys or girls, teachers, parents, and the principle, and whatever else teenagers worry about," he comments looking at her, when he notices her look his eyebrows scrunch together. "What?" He asks.

"I prefer vampires, demons, and dooming apocalypses," she says matter-of-factly.

"Either way, they are lucky to have you, I know I was." He says smiling at her. Pulling into the park lot, they could see teenagers walking around everywhere, as well as the high school. They were all hurrying into the open courtyard, and many were hurrying into the building. Buffy remembered when she was one of the students, but most of the time she wasn't rushing to class, more like she was rushing to the library to inform Giles about the latest evil that she faced that night. Buffy's high school experience wasn't about boys or homework, more like it was about saving the entire student body from being eating by whatever lay outside at high, and her senior year, it was about making sure the mayor didn't eat them.

Hopefully this time, the problems the teens here will have nothing to do with the dark side.

Hopefully. For some reason, the school, seemed a whole lot bigger today than it did the last time she was here.

…

Once in her office Buffy starts to get this feeling that she is being put in some kind of cage. They had given her this cubical looking this, that were supposed to pass as her office. She didn't really mind though, after all if the forces of evil decided to attack her here she would only have one way out and they would only have one way in, unless they decided to job through the window which is a definite possibility. Looking at her desk she notices that there are a couple of folders on it, with what she is guessing are names on them. She glances back at principle Wood with a questioning look, this job is looking more and more like a guidance counselor, which he said she wasn't.

"Well. I'm hoping that in a couple days time they'll start coming to your themselves," he says pointing to the folders on her desk. "This is only the beginning Buffy," he adds in there to make himself even more creepy.

"What if they don't," Buffy asked. What if they kids don't like her and they don't come. All this time she had been worried that she wouldn't understand their problems and that she wouldn't understand them. But what if they don't like her and they never come and she is doomed to sit in this office for hours with no company because people don't like her. "Should I panic?" She asks as she starts panicking in her head with all the what if questions. Buffy isn't someone that likes surprise, being a slayer and having things jump out at her day and night, she has grown to not like surprises. Can you really blame her?

"You'll be surprised," he says coming over and sitting slightly on the edge of her desk. Buffy looked at him cautiously. She didn't know yet if he was evil or if she should be worried about what he might do while she's here, she hasn't decided but this job will be a great chance to get close enough to him, so she'll be able to kill him if he is evil. After all he is a principle. He looks at her slightly. "You're the youngest of the staff here, I think students are going to be jumping at the opportunity to come sit and talk to you," he says with a wink. Weird. "They need to feel like someone here understands them," he says getting off her desk and back stepping back towards his office. "Everything is going to be fine, trust me, and trust yourself," he says.

"Can I give detention?" She asks but he doesn't answer her. He is already back behind his desk in his office, with the door closed. He has to be evil, unless he took this job without knowing what happened to the other people you had his job. Plus, his office is right on top of the Hellmouth. Buffy pulls out her chair and takes a seat behind her desk. She didn't like school when she was a teenagers because of all the useless amount of hours she had to spend here, and now she came back, willingly, was she insane? She dropped the folder she was picking up because the phone rang, she reached and answered it. "Buffy Summers," she says. Great, no one told her how she was supposed to answer the phone, this is a business place, shouldn't there be a certain way you answer the phone. She didn't think she was going to like this job.

"Nice B, very professional sounding," Faith's voice said on the other end of the line.

"This is creepy," she says, slightly relaxing at the sound of her lovers voice. "You have any idea how many years I spend running around this place trying to stop it from being destroyed by demons, even after I blew it up. And hey I blew it up! He should know that if he read my record, why would you ask me to work here if you knew I blew up," she paused. "Why would you trust someone with kids that recently blew up a school," she adds on.

"Relax B," Faith says calmly. "He has his reasons, but something tells me he isn't evil," she adds on. "Open you're top drawer," she says suddenly.

"What why?"

"There is a little surprise in there," Faith says matter-of-factly. "Just do it, I promise it will help you calm the hell down," she finishes.

Buffy leans back in her chair and opens the drawer. Lifting up what was inside she lets out a small laugh. "I love you," she says simply setting the small item on the desk in front of her.

"I know you do," Faith says. "Well I'm off to work now; I'll see you later on tonight right?" Faith asks not knowing if Buffy is going straight to patrolling or if she is coming home first.

Buffy lefts up her hand slightly and look at the ring Faith got her. It was huge, which was perfect. She always thought she'd be one of those girls that wanted one of those big diamonds on her ring, but the one Faith had picked out was perfect. "Yeah," is all she said before she hung up the phone. It wasn't small either, everything about the ring was perfect. Taking it off she looks at the inside, where Faith had gotten something written. She smiles. _Forever yours faithfully. _

…

Faith looks through the window and sees Buffy sitting at her desk. She smiles when she notices her looking at the ring. Smiling Faith slips through the door and into the basement. She didn't tell Buffy about Spike being in the basement, she knew that Buffy would try to do something, try to save him. But Faith knew that there was nothing that could be done to save him. He's a vampire, a vampire that tried to rape Buffy while she was away on business.

Faith had gone somewhere for Giles when he called saying that some little place needed the slayers assistance. It was something he normally did but he did explain that someone very important to him lived there and he wanted to make sure she was alright. When Faith got there she saw who the important person was. Olivia, the one that she had met when the gentlemen came to town, she had been staying with Giles, and Giles referred to her as his "friend," like they were stupid.

She didn't care that Giles had this type of "friend" but everyone else in the group thought it was weird.

She stops when she sees him kneeling there on the floor. She had come down here ready to kill him. She didn't just want him to pop up and ruin things between her and Buffy because for some reason Buffy always had a soft spot when it came to Faith and last year it almost ruined their relationship. But seeing him now, like this, Faith couldn't bring herself to do it. Walking closer to him she can see his tense up. What the hell happened to him this summer? She kneels down in front of him.

"Spike," she says.

"Kill me, that's what you came here to do," he says looking up at her.

She could see the tears in his eyes. Spike wasn't someone who cried, he was very much like her in that way and that's why she always liked him, until everything happened between him and Buffy, and she would do anything to protect Buffy. "What happened to you?" She asks reaching out and touching his chest, seeing the marks on him. But before she can lay a finger on him he flinches away and stands up. "Spike."

He's looking past her. Faith turns around to see if someone is standing there, there isn't. "She isn't ready," when she looks back at him he still isn't looking for her. "She isn't ready," he says once more, this time looking at her, and then he turns and runs away from her. Faith just stands, she doesn't bother to chase him.

"What the hell happened to you?" She asks, but no one is there but her.

Spike had been someone that she had gotten close to once he got the chip in his head. They were friends, if either one of them would have admitted it. Buffy used to tell her that she liked that her and Spike were friends, that they were so much alike, that she needed someone like him. Of course Faith being who she is denied it until Buffy stopped speaking of their friendship. But Buffy was right. Spike was someone she used to talk to about her relationship with Buffy, and he was the first one she told when she was thinking about marrying her, before she died and everything of course. He had shown her a good place for rings, that weren't overly expensive.

They shared a lot when Buffy died. Faith had shut herself off to the gang and to Dawn because everything about them reminded her of Buffy and how much she missed her. And yet when she was with Spike, they would just get drunk and kill demons, it was a slayers way of dealing. The gang didn't understand that, but then again they didn't have to.

They never told her that they were going to try and bring Buffy back. They didn't include her or Spike in on that little secret. Faith didn't tell Buffy that either, cause Buffy, just like herself, knew what she would have had to do if Buffy had come back as something besides Buffy. And they both knew how hard it would have been for Faith to do what needed to be done. They didn't speak of that night, Buffy refused and so did she. Yet when Buffy was brought back, things between them were strained, and a relationship between Buffy and Spike was formed. Faith would try and talk to Spike about it but he wouldn't, and that pissed her off that their friendship ended, and just as there friendship ended Buffy's and his grew.

So much so that Buffy would leave their bed at night.

She never asked why, or what they did, because Faith knew deep down that she didn't want to know.

Looking into the darkness, Faith could see that Spike had disappeared. Whatever happened to Spike these past few months was something big and she knew that she would have to talk to Buffy about it, but that meant telling Buffy about Spike and she didn't know how to do that…not yet. Then again though that wasn't the big problem.

Spike was talking to someone else while she was down here, someone that she couldn't see, and this someone was talking to him.

Something else was here. She could feel.

And this something is big.

…

Author's note: Sorry I'm late with this chapter I'll try to not let it happen again. Please comment, it makes me all happy and giddy on the inside. Lol


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or any of its characters, if I did the show wouldn't have ended…cuz I'm greedy like that and I miss my BTVS. LOL

Title: Time, It's All We Have

Pairings: Buffy/Faith

Summary: Faith never went to prison, she did kill the guy, but she let Buffy help her, and because of that help, they have become what they did in my story…re-write of season 7.

Author's Note: I'm changing the way I write this. Hope everyone likes it. *hides in corner nervously biting nails*

**Chapter Five: Beneath You Part Two**

**~Faith's POV**

This is not supposed to be happening. When Spike left at the beginning of summer it felt like everything was going to return to normal. Buffy and I were going to go back to the way we were, when we were happy. The whole time Spike was around Buffy and I fought every day, always arguing, which was weird since Spike and I were sort of friends. And I use that term loosely. When he got the chip he started coming around more and the "Scooby Gang" didn't like that but I convinced them all the Spike could be someone good. Him and I started hanging out, we had a common bond, Buffy's bestest buds didn't practically like us.

"What's wrong?" Buffy asks me as she enters the kitchen with a first aid kit in hand. Xander came across a girl who appeared frightened so he brought her here like where the police station or something. But upon hearing her story Buffy believes there may be supernatural forces at work, and who am I to argue with her. "Faith?" She gently places her hand on my arm and I turn to look at her. The concern on her face evident.

I didn't tell her about Spike, and that I saw him. How would I tell her something like that? She was finally forgetting about him and now I'm just supposed to thrust him back into her life, no, I am not going to do that. "Nothing, I'm fine," I say looking at her as I get off the stool I was sitting on. "Really B, I'm fine," I say leaning in and kissing her forehead. "Now let's help this girl out." Buffy smiles as she leads the way into the living room.

"You all must think I'm crazy," Nancy, the girl Xander came upon, says as we enter the living room. Her, Dawn and Xander are all sitting on the couch. I laugh a little when I notice how into this girl Xander is. He may seem into her but he is completely faithful. Him and Anya got married last year, and still we almost thought that wasn't going to happen, but he came through and I think he was better off for it. And yet surprisingly to all of us, Anya and Xander ended up moving in with Buffy and I, to help her pay the bills. This all happened after Willow went to England with Giles, which s a whole other story.

"No, we don't," Buffy says as she takes a seat on the coffee table in front of the girl. Opening the first aid kit.

"You hear stories about this place, but you think they're just stories for the tourists or something," she says. "It's all true isn't it?" She asks looking at all of us.

"We've seen things too," Buffy says and I snort. She sends me a warning glare before she turns back to her. "You're in good hands here," she says as she wraps up Nancy's hand. When she's done she places all the items into the kit and hands it to me. "Put this back for me please," she says looking at Xander and then Dawn. "Can I ask you one thing though?" I hear Buffy ask as I walk back into the living from, leaning against the chair behind where Buffy is sitting. "Did you hear anything, you know, before," she asks.

"Well there was this one thing," she says. "Like a rumbling sound, right before and earthquake," she explains.

"From beneath you it devours," Buffy says under her breath, soft enough so that no one will hear her, except me.

"What?" Nancy asks looking at her.

"Nothing," she says quickly looking at me, and I look away knowing that whatever is coming is not longer coming, it's already here and we aren't ready. "Okay," she says standing running her hands across her jeans looking at me, I nod, going over to the chest and opening it. I hand her a axe and take a dagger and place it in my jeans belt loop.

"Need some help, love," turning at the sound of his voice I see Spike standing in the doorway. Xander steps between him and Buffy, and I look at Buffy who has a shocked look on her face. Her mouth is slightly ajar and she can't seem to look away. I should have told her that I knew he was back and that he was alive, I shouldn't have waited, it is better for her to be have been mad at me for not telling her sooner than to have her be so surprised.

"Spike," she says setting the axe down on the chair. "What? When did you get back?" she asks.

"There is no time for that," he says glancing at me. I'm so going to kill him. "I need to speak with you," he says to Buffy. "Privately," he adds.

"I'm thinking not," I say stepping up next to Buffy and placing my hand on her arm holding her back.

"Late time you saw me…" he starts. "In the school basement, I was not myself," he gestures to himself. "I'm better now."

"You saw him?" Dawn asks.

"You knew he was here?" Buffy asks.

"Why didn't you kill him?" Xander says and Buffy turns her anger on him. "What I'm just voicing what everyone was thinking." He explains.

Buffy turns to look at me and instead of anger I see hurt and it kills me. The last time I saw that look on Buffy's face is when I killed Finch and I told her it didn't bother me. When all that happened Buffy and I had just begun expressing our feelings. Stealing kisses and slight touches, and everything that happened with Finch threw a wrench into it and messed everything up. We didn't get back to where we were until she started college. "I can't believe you didn't say anything," she says in a hushed whisper. Then she turns back to Spike. "Privately," she says and he back into the foyer.

"B," I say grabbing her and she just shoots me a glare and I release her arm.

"Who's that?" Nancy asks after the tension settles.

I forgot she was here. "An old friend," I say not bothering to leave the anger out of my voice.

"Xander?" Anya says from the kitchen. She must have came in through the back door, which should be a little weird, but it isn't considering its Anya.

"Excuse me," he says leaving the room.

…

I'm holding the flash light as Spike sticks his head in the hole that ate Nancy's dog. Something inside me is screaming at me to stake this bastard kneeling in front of me, and then there is another part of me that is hoping that whatever ate Nancy's dog will come through that hole and bite his head off. It would totally back everything perfect. Buffy would forgive me, eventually, and then we'd be back to normal. Hopefully. I also know that, that is just my dream world, I know that nothing is going to come out of that hole, whatever ate Nancy's dog is long gone and hunting for its new prey. And for now it's just Spike and I, alone, with a guy I want to kill.

"Why didn't you tell her?" He asks looking at me, reaching for the flashlight. Buffy tried to tell me that she was going to be the one to go with Spike but I told her under no circumstances would I let her go with him. She could be mad at me all she wants but I told her to go with Xander and make sure that Nancy got home safe because something is telling me that this thing that ate her dog wasn't after her dog but instead after her. Which means there is going to be another attack.

"Tell her that the guy that tried to rape her is back in town, I decided against it," I say.

"She's pissed." He says smirking.

"She'll get over it," I reply quickly.

"Not Buffy, and you know that, she doesn't like me lied to," she says standing handing me back the flashlight. "You should know that better than anyone pet," he finishes.

"She's different now, we're different now," I say not backing down.

"I'm sure you are, but she isn't. She always going to be Buffy, damaged Buffy, and you just broke her a little more," he says.

"How would you like it if I broke you, a little more," I say stepping closer to him. "Give me the chance to prove to you how far I am willing to break her. Because for some reason she still holds a little part for you, I would be willing to break that for the satisfaction of killing you," I say taking my stake up.

"Would you now love?" he says taking the stake and holding it to her his heart. "Let's see how brave you are," he says smirking. Son of a bitch.

"What's going on here?" Buffy says from behind me. This so can't be happening, what are the fucking odds. "Faith!" She yells and I pull the stake away, but it doesn't stop me from sending a swift right hook his way sending him to his knees. "Go. Now." She says yanking me away. "Nancy said she made a wish, and her boyfriend is the demon, now go find Anya and get someone to fix this without killing him," she says as she helps Spike up and it takes everything inside of me not to strike him down again.

"No." I say simply.

"Faith. Go. Now." She says stressing each word. I look at her and she looks at me and for a second its only the two of it.

"I hate you for this," I say backing away.

"I love you for this," she says as Spike leans on her breathing heavily.

"I'm going to kill him," I whisper to Xander as we leave the two behind.

"Finally," he says leading the way.

…

Anya was sitting on the couch with Dawn when Xander and I walked through the front door. Dawn jumps up, "I was just about to start my homework," she says rushing past us and upstairs. Anya pops a chip into her mouth as she looks at the both of us before turning back towards the TV.

"She's lying you know," Anya says popping another chip into her mouth. "She never planned on doing her homework," she adds as if we didn't get it before. "Now go away, my show is on," she says staring at the TV.

"An, honey, we need your help," Xander says I don't bother listening to what he is telling her, honestly I don't even really care so long as she helps us, which I know she will because although Anya used to be a vengeance demon, she now only does whatever makes Xander happy. And as bad as that sounds it isn't that bad. Reaching into my pocket I grab my cell phone and dial Buffy, but it goes straight to voicemail, she ignored my call. Holding in my scream I jam the phone back into my pocket. "It was Hally," Anya says walking past me and into the kitchen, I decided to follow after Xander. "And if you expect me to ask her to lift the spell you're mistaken," she says placing the dish in the sink.

"Anya this thing ate her dog," I says stepping forward.

"The dog?" she says making some kind of weird noise I have never heard from her before.

"That gets your sad noise?" Xander asks.

"Yes!" She shouts. "Hally!"

…

**~Buffy's POV**

What was I thinking? Making Faith go off with Xander and leaving me alone with Spike. It's not that I don't trust Faith to do what needs to be done; it's that I don't trust Spike. I guess that's why I wanted to stay close to him. I know she was just trying to protect me by keeping him from me, but she could at least told me he was back in Sunnydale, if she would have just told me things wouldn't have happened like they did.

"She was just trying protect you love," he says looking at me as we make our way back to the house. "After what I did, she was just trying to protect you, don't fault her for this," he adds stopping outside the house. I didn't even realize we were here already, I thought for sure it was going to take longer than it did, but then again I was deep in thought that I wouldn't have noticed anything else. "She loves you pet," he says quickly as I make my way into the house.

"C'mon Spike," I say quickly. "We're gonna need some help," I finish. I don't know what it about Spike that just makes me want to help him, to believe that he can be better than he is. "Faith?" I ask entering the house, I can hear talking coming from the kitchen yet when I look into the living room Faith is sitting on the couch, eating chips. "Baby," I say walking over to her. She looks towards me, but her eyes move further to where Spike is standing. "I'm sorry," I say sitting down next to her and placing my arm over her shoulder and kissing her forehead.

"What's he doing her Buffy," she asks me.

"We need his help," I say.

"No we don't." she says standing up. "You want it, just admit it and stopping making me feel stupid," she says.

"No I don't," I say honestly. "Something is wrong with him," I look at him until I lower my voice. "I don't know what it is but I want to find out," I say honestly. "Please believe me Faith," I say running my fingers through her hair.

"I don't want you alone with him, anymore, ever," she says looking back at him. "I'm serious Buffy, not alone with him ever," she adds for emphasis.

"Deal." I say leaning in and kissing her. "Love you."

"Love you too." She says.

…

Author's Note: Another Update Soon! Reviews please…they makes me soooo happy I just write more and faster. Hint hint lol


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or any of its characters, if I did the show wouldn't have ended…cuz I'm greedy like that and I miss my BTVS. LOL

Title: Time, It's All We Have

Pairings: Buffy/Faith

Summary: Faith never went to prison, she did kill the guy, but she let Buffy help her, and because of that help, they have become what they did in my story…re-write of season 7.

**Chapter Five: Beneath You Part Three**

~Faith's POV

Buffy disappeared into the kitchen were Anya and Xander were talking to Hally, trying to convince her to remove the spell, or knowing Buffy she is threatening to stab her with a knife or something. So now I'm stuck in the room with Spike, who is now sitting in one of the chairs across from me. The TV has sense been turned off and now I'm staring at him, trying to kill him with nothing but my stare. I'm failing horribly. "You know we used to be friends pet," he says breaking the silence and inching forward on the chair. Rolling my eyes I finally break the stare that wasn't doing what it was supposed to. "What happened?" He asked.

"Did you lose your memory?" I ask looking at him as if he was the biggest idiot on the planet. "You," I lower my voice leaning closer to him. "You tried to rape Buffy," I say in a low voice making sure that no one besides Spike and I can hear this conversation. Buffy doesn't like to talk about it, which is understandable, expect I know it bothers her and I also know having Spike around again isn't doing her any good. She is still holding all those feelings inside, it took me forever to be able to touch her again without her flinching, I never got mad at her for not being intimate with me after what happened between her and Spike, I just wanted her to talk to me, and she would, in fact she still hasn't.

"Tried, is the key word there love, I failed," he says smirking at me and I break. Leaping across the table I send up both flying over the chair and into a heap on the floor. With all my body weight behind it I bring my fist to his face and am satisfied when I see him spit blood before his face changed. "You want a rumble pet, you got it," he says as he knees me in the side, which in turn causes me to fall to the ground beside him, but only for a second, and then I am once again on my feet. Both our chests are heaving as his vampire face looks at me. "Does it bother you?" He asks walking around me, circling me. "That when she was with you, sexually, after what happened, she was thinking of me and what almost happened," I swing around and connect with his face. "I was the reason she couldn't stand the touch of you love," he says and that's when I grab a stake and hold it above his heart. "Do it."

"Faith! No!" Buffy comes over to me and pulls me off of him, but this time she doesn't help him up. Instead she just looks down at him.

"What's going on here?" I turn and notice that Nancy is still here, seriously we haven't saved her yet.

"It's complicated," Xander says as a way of explanation.

"Spike tried to rape Buffy, who is with Faith, Faith and Spike were best friend, now she wants to kill him," Anya says walking past us all with Hally, Anya is more or less dragging her along. She nods obviously proud of herself.

"William?" Hally says noticing Spike on the floor, and just like he did at Buffy's birthday party last year he became tense. Last year, Dawn had unconsciously made a wish were we weren't able to leave the house, so Anya called on Hally, and when she saw Spike and Spike saw her, the tension arrived. I had asked him about it once but all he said was that it was another lifetime. Anya loses her hold on her and she steps closer to where Spike is standing. "How?" She says reaching for his head and he steps away from her. "How did you get it?" She asks moving closer to him again and this time he uppercuts her sending her flying back into the dining room table affectively smashing it to pieces.

"Spike!" Buffy says stepping forward and sending a right cross to his cheek. He staggers back before he starts laughing. "What's wrong with you?" She asks but he says nothing. Buffy goes to attack again but this time I stop her. "What?"

"Nancy's gone," I say looking around for the girl. "And with a giant worm demon after her, someone should find her fast," I comment.

"I'll go," she says and she takes off. And that's when I notice that Nancy wasn't the only one who split.

"Xander, you and Anya get her to take the spell off," I say reaching into the weapons chest and grabbing a stake. I'm thankful that for once Xander and I are on even ground, it isn't often that agrees with something that I have said or done. Him and I go at it the most, and I think it's because instead of being with him Buffy choose to be with me. And I know deep down he still considers me a monster. But hopefully one day we'll move on from that.

…

When I left the house Spike was long gone, but it didn't take me long to find him. But when I did find him I was surprised that he was in a church. I contemplated whether or not I should go inside, considering how unstable Spike has been for the past couple of days. But then again if I don't find out what's wrong with him or kill him, then I'm not doing my job and protecting Buffy.

Within seconds I find myself inside the abandon church. It's weird; as long as I've lived in Sunnydale I have never been inside this place. And from the looks of it not many people have been. But Spike was in here now, why I don't know, but then again I don't care. What he said to me at the house was uncalled for and it is time for him to pay. Yet looking around I see no sign of him, but I did see him walking in here. There is something wrong with him, something that he isn't telling anyone, and something I believe is what is causing him to have all of his mood swings. "You have to explain to her that I did this for her," I hear his voice but I still don't see him. I don't know if he is playing so sort of trick on me. "I know she is yours, I know what I did was wrong, so I punished myself," that's when I see him cross a windows opening and the moon illuminates his white skin. "I was a bad man," he says and now he is standing in front of me.

"Spike what are you talking about," I ask yet as he steps closer to me I can see the scares on him. "Spike what happened?" I ask, I reach out to touch him, but he backs away.

"No! No touching!" He yells stepping back and turning his back to me. "This is what she wanted," he says moving towards a cross that is standing at the front of the room. Buffy, she wanted this? She wanted him? No, I can't let myself listen to him, he is crazy, and something inside of him is driving him crazy. Maybe someone casted a spell on him or something, something has to explain this, this isn't the Spike that left Sunnydale at the beginning of summer. "Angel should have warned me," the use of Angel's name snaps me back to reality, and suddenly my mind starts turning, away from the possibility of Spike being spelled to something more, something much more different. "He plays it off well, but it isn't as easy as it looks, to block it all out, to forget," he says and suddenly his arms wrap around the cross he is now standing in front of.

The smell of burning flesh fills the room but I can't look away. "Your soul."

He doesn't answer me. Instead the only sound that could be heard in the room at the moment is Spike's sizzling flesh. "Forgive me," he says suddenly, surprising me. "Faith, forgive me," he says once more and then silence once again falls over the room.

…

Walking into the house that night, all the lights are off, which tells me that Buffy succeeded in saving Nancy and that she has gone to bed. I know Buffy, and if she would have failed in saving her, she would be up still, sitting on the couch, watching some sad move with a thing of ice cream in front of her. It is the way Buffy copes, she eats and watches sad TV, I stopped questioning her motives long ago and now I simply accept them. I don't bother going to the kitchen, knowing there is nothing in there for what I need, for what I am about to do.

Tell Buffy.

About Spike.

And his soul.

I know it is something that I shouldn't tell her because then the spot she holds for him will grow and it'll be even harder for her to get over what happened to him. But if I don't tell her than she'll hold it against me for a long time to come. Buffy isn't someone who likes being lied to, she likes to know everything that is going on right there and right then, no exceptions. She wasn't happy when I didn't tell her about Spike being back or the fact that Spike was in the school basement. So I can't keep this from her.

The moon outside is casting a light into the room; just enough light for me to see Buffy's sleeping form on her side of the bed. I was surprised, when I started sleeping with Buffy, she always favored one side of the bed, yet when I was in bed with her, and she would always sleep right up against me. I asked it about her once, and she said something about it being a safety thing, I accepted that.

When Buffy and I first got together I think the thing that surprised me most about being with her was at how unsafe she felt in her own home. When you look at Buffy you don't see someone who is scared, she is someone that radiates with power, someone who you want to be near when there is a crisis because she makes you feel that much safer. And yet, she revealed to me that she felt safe in my presence, that whenever I was around I made her feel like she could do anything. That was something I never knew, cause half the time, I was messing something up, making her mad, and causing us both to fight, that was what I did, so the thought that I made her feel safe, well it made me appreciate our love a little more and what exactly we had.

People, who are close to Buffy don't understand why she would settle for someone like me. Someone who killed a man and admitted that it didn't bother me, the Scooby gang weren't happy when they discovered that she and I were together. In the beginning Buffy and I would sneak around, she didn't want her friends to know because she knew that they wouldn't understand, and that they wouldn't be happy. And they weren't, but then again they weren't happy when Buffy was dating Angel so it didn't hurt my feelings that much.

"Are you coming to bed?" Looking towards the bed, brought out of my thought by the sound of her voice, I notice Buffy is sitting up in the bed now with the sheet clutched to her body. I smile as I make my way forward, towards the women I love. "You missed it, I accidently rammed a steel pool into the worm just as Hally lifted the spell so I accidently rammed it into the ex-boyfriend," she says as I climb into bed. I close my eyes as the feeling of warmth-ness wash over my body. "But I got him to the hospital fast enough and the doctor said everything was going to be okay, and I even thing Nancy is thinking about giving him another chance," she says as she lays her head on my chest and wraps her arms around my waist. "So, how was your night?"

Oh I found out Spike has a soul now and he got it because it though it was something that would make you happy, it thought it was what you wanted. "Nothing interesting, just a few vamps," I lie as I kiss the top of her head.

"Listen Faith, about the whole Spike thing, you know you have nothing to worry about right," she says playing her chin on my chest and looking at me. "You never had anything to worry about, so there is totally no reason for you to be getting all jealous," she pauses. "You're the only one for me Faith; I want you to know that."

"I know B, I know," I say.

…

~Buffy's POV

Rolling over in bed to get away from the sun I expected to come into contact with Faith's body but instead the only thing that greeted me was the coldness of the sheets. Just as I was going to get up to go find her I notice she is sitting on the edge of the bed, with her back facing me. She has been acting weird all night, when she got her first chance she rolled away from me. "I have something to tell you, and you better believe that this isn't easy for me to say," she says not bothering to turn around to look at me. Her long dark hair is moved into a messy bun by her eager hands. "Last night it wasn't just your run of the mill vamps for me, no, it was just one," she pauses. "Spike," I hear my breath catch in my throat and I know she does too and it causes her to look to the side, but still she doesn't look at me. "I found him after he disappeared from the house in an abandoned church right outside of the Restfeild Cemetery," she says honestly.

"Faith," I say reaching out and touching her back.

"Let me finish Buffy," she says turning back towards the front of the room. I pull my hand back. "I know there is a part of you that will care for him, and I don't know why, and I've never asked, I just accepted. I figured it was just the same spot where you'll always hold Angel. You want to believe that people can be better Buffy and I love that about you, after all its because of that, that we ended up were we are today. You believe in me, and in turn I showed you I loved you and will always love you, even if I don't agree with you decisions, which lets admit it, is most of the time," I laugh a little. "So me telling you this will give you a reason to help Spike, and who am I to stop you, because if someone would have stopped you from helping me, we wouldn't here," I say. Finally she turns and look at me, her eyes sad, so unlike the Faith that I know. "Spike, the reason he has been acting so weird lately, I know why," she says and I move closer to her on the bed. "His soul, he got it back," I say quickly before I lose my courage.

"What?"

"He did it for you," she says turning away from me once again. "I don't know what happened between you and Spike last year Buffy, and I honestly don't want to know, but I do know that he believe this is what you wanted, what you needed," she continue this time standing up. "He went to the ends of the earth to get his soul back…" she pauses. "For you."

I slowly get out of the bed and walk over to her, bringing my hand up I cup the side of her face. "Faith," I say leaning up and kissing her. "Nothing happened between Spike and I last year, I swear to you, I was with you faithfully," I say answering the question that I know has been plaguing her for some time. She always wondered if Spike and I slept together, if I cheated on her when she was away with Giles on slayer business. How else would he have gotten close enough to try and rape me. But nothing ever happened, he wanted it to I know he did, but there was nothing he could have said that would have made me betray Faith like that, nothing. "The fact that he thinks I wanted him to get a soul, I didn't, I would have been happy if I never had to see him again, but," I say looking her in the eye. "Knowing that he is no longer out there killing people, does bring me comfort, and I will help him through this time, he needs it." I pause. "I just want you to remember that there was a time when you needed my help just as much as he does now and because I am helping it doesn't mean anything. I don't hold a spot for him, or at least I don't mean to. The only person I hold a spot for in my heart is you Faith." I say and she wraps her arms around me, bringing are lips together in a rouge kiss. I place my chin on her shoulder as I hold her in my arms. "You forever Faith." I whisper in her ear while looking straight ahead at nothing.

…

Author's Note: Feed me with reviews! Please! 


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the show or any of its characters, if I did the show wouldn't have ended…cuz I'm greedy like that and I miss my BTVS. LOL

**Title**: Time, It's All We Have

**Pairings**: Buffy/Faith

**Summary**: Faith never went to prison, she did kill the guy, but she let Buffy help her, and because of that help, they have become what they did in my story…re-write of season 7.

**Chapter Sever: Same Time, Same Place Part One**

~**Buffy's POV**

Spike went and got his soul back, for me. Looking at Faith I take a seat in the comfy chair that she insisted we get for the bedroom. I love her, I really do, and I would do anything so that she is happy. But I can't do the one thing that she wants, what she needs to trust me, it's the one thing I cannot do. I know deep down she wants me to cut Spike out of my life. She asked me to marry her and for her that is a huge step and it is for me to, yet I don't understand why I'm so blinded when it comes to Spike. I don't know if it is because of the evil that's coming and there is something in my gut telling me I need him, or if it's just the history that we have. I don't know, but I do know that if I don't figure it out I'm going to lose her, and that's not something I'm willing to do.

Faith is not someone I am willing to lose. I have spent years trying to convince everyone that Faith is the one for me, but inside I think that I was just trying to convince myself. I was never someone who trusted easily, Faith knew that, but she stayed with me anyways. She helped me through all the tough times, especially when my mother died, she was there. And she didn't expect anything in return. After that, that was when I started letting her in, when I started letting myself love her and be with her the way that I knew I could. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Looking over at the bed Faith is looking at me with sleepy eyes. She runs her hands through her messy hair. "Willow comes home tomorrow, you said you wanted to be there early," she says pushing the blankets aside. "Come back to bed," she says.

Willow does come home tomorrow, Giles said she has been making good progress but she isn't one hundred percent. I explained to him that we didn't need her right now, but he insisted that we do. He knows something about what is coming but he isn't sharing, and I'm not sure why. Getting up from the chair I walk over to the bed but I don't get into it. Instead I kneel down and look at her as she lays her head back on the pillow. Playing with the ring on my finger I look her in the eye. "I love you," I say. She reaches out and takes a hold of my hand that is lying on the bed. "I can't wait to tell her," I say getting up and crawling into bed. Faith moves in behind me and wraps her arms around my waist holding my body tightly to hers.

By the end of the day tomorrow.

Everything will be different.

...

Airports weren't my favorite place, and I'm guessing the same thing goes for Faith, considering she didn't want to come along to greet Willow. I talked to Giles before I left the house and he said that she got on the plane in England and she should be arriving on time. Yet he didn't sound too sure, something tells me that the Willow were getting back isn't going to be the one that we love. Now I'm not saying that I'm not going to love the Willow that comes home, but I know she isn't going to be the Willow I'm used to. I guess I'm just scared.

"You sure she can see it?" Xander asks from where he is standing beside me. I look around him at the sign he had made for Willow's return. Being the loving Xander he is made it in yellow crayon, which I guess has something to do with a moment he and Willow shared while she was trying to destroy the world.

"Xander I don't think anyone can," Dawn says jabbing him slightly in the side. "It's in yellow."

"Well." He says waving his hand on front of him. "It saved the world," he says looking at us. He must have told us the story of how he saved the world a hundred times, thus the yellow crayon. Something, a moment; that he and Willow shared a long time ago, long before I knew either one of them. I guess sometimes you don't have to be a superhero to save the world; sometimes you just gotta love someone. "Do you wanna hear it again?" he asks looking at the both of us.

"Yes of course, because we haven't heard it yet," Dawn says sarcastically.

"Rude," Xander says playfully pushing her.

"Hey look," Dawn says pointing to the women closing the door. "I guess everyone is off the plane," she adds looking around.

"So where's Will?" I ask not seeing her. I called Giles, he said she go on the plane in England.

...

~**Faith's POV**

I didn't go with Buffy, I know she wanted me too, but I do airports. At least that's what I told her, and that isn't exactly the truth, they don't really bother me. I mean I fight vampires and demons every night, I have a better chance of being killed by one of them then by being in a crash, right? But I didn't want to go. She has been acting weird ever since I told her about Spike and his soul. Like last night, I wake only to find her not in bed, instead I find her sitting in a chair across the room. I don't know what's going on with her, and every time I ask she says its nothing. But I know it isn't nothing. Spike, she always becomes closed off when it comes to him, she doesn't like to talk about him, especially with me.

"I bet she's still evil," looking across the table I notice Anya playing with her food. "That's why Giles is sending her back here," she says looking up at me. "What? I'm just saying what all you guys are scared to say," she says.

"Giles wouldn't send her back here if she was still evil," I say.

"How do you know that?" She asks. I don't have an answer for her. Because honestly I don't know w if everything is okay with her. Willow tried to destroy the world, that isn't something you just come back from. I mean I killed someone and look how hard it was for me to come back from that. She killed someone and tried to kill everyone else. I don't know how she is going to come back, but I know it isn't going to be the bubbly Willow we all used to know.

She's going to be different.

...

My feet are moving before I tell them too, leading me downstairs. I take a look at the clock on the wall and I notice that it is half past midnight. Willow should have arrived hours ago, and now she is just getting home. Maybe Anya was right, maybe she still is evil. When I get to the bottom of the stairs I don't see anyone. "What the," I say to myself as I peek into the dining room only to find it empty. Making my way into the kitchen I also find it empty. "That's it, I'm going crazy," I say to myself rounding the corner to the living room. "AH!" My hand slaps to my chest as I notice Willow standing before me.

"Faith," she says reaching out to me. "Are you okay?"

"No!" I shout and she steps back. "Did you just hear me? The girlish scream that came from me, it's embarrassing," I say looking at her as I lean down placing my hands on my knees.

"You're secret is safe with me," she says with a smirk.

I look past her. "Where is everyone?" I ask knowing they had a welcoming party for her at the airport.

"I don't know, I was hoping they were here," she says looking sad. "I thought they were going to meet me at the airport but no one was there," she explained. "They aren't here?" She asks.

"No," I say standing up my mind going to slayer mode. "Last I knew they were at the airport waiting for you. The only ones here are me and Anya," I say walking past her to the phone. "I'll call Buffy," I say reaching for the phone but she stops me. "What?"

"I'm not ready," she says shyly.

"Will," I say stepping closer to her. "You don't have anything to worry about. Look at me, I killed a guy too and they don't hate me...well anymore." I say smirking. "Buffy isn't someone to hold grudges...well except with me," I pause closing my eyes. "I'm going to stop trying to help now," I say opening my eyes and looking at her. "Don't hold this against me, I'm tired," I add when I notice she's smiling.

"Deal." She says. Then she looks at me, confused. "Anya's here?"

"Yeah her and Xander moved in to help with the bills," I say walking back towards the stairs.

"So where am I supposed to stay?" she asks following behind me.

"Xander has been adding on to the house," I explain. "Your room is still in the process of being built," I say trying to comfort her. "You're going to be staying in Dawn's room for the time being, he said something about the room being ready sometime next week." I explained. She nods. "Don't worry, everything will be back to normal before you know it," I say handing her a couple pillows and a blanket.

"So vampires and demons," she says.

"Yup," I say. "Normal."

...

I feel the bed dip. Rolling over I notice Buffy climbing into bed next to me, yet looking past her at the clock on the bedside table I notice that it is past two. Her eyes look tired and I know she doesn't know I'm awake and that's why she's trying not to wake me. But before she lies down I place my hand on her arm, her eyes find mine in the darkness, and her surprise is evident. "Faith, I thought you were asleep," she says.

"Where have you been?" I ask ignoring her question.

"What do you mean? I've been at the airport," she says pulling her arm away suddenly noticing the jealous tone in my voice.

"Yeah right Buffy it's after two," I say rolling over and turning my back to her.

"We thought Willow caught a later plane so we stayed," she says crawling up next to me and wrapping her arms around me. "But it appears she got off the plane in England or something because she never made it here, we waited there all night," she explains placing her chin on my shoulder.

This causes me to turn around, jealousy gone. "What? She's here, at the house, she said you guys weren't there." I explained getting up.

"Where are you going?" She asks me.

"Dawn's room." I say and Buffy gets up and follows me. Opening the door to Dawn's room I notice she is just getting into bed, looking at us confused, I mentally tell myself to apologize to Buffy later. But the next thing that I notice is that Willow is nowhere to be found. "She was here, I told her this is where she would be staying until Xander finished the add-on," I said turning to Buffy. "I swear, I saw her," I say.

"You sure you weren't dreaming?" She asks.

"Buffy." I look at her with an 'are you serious look.' "Why would I be dreaming about Willow?" I ask.

"Gross," I hear Dawn say behind us.

"Right," Buffy says.

"Giles wouldn't send her home unless she was a hundred percent right?" Dawn asks. Buffy and I look at one another, neither one of us saying anything. "Right?"

"Giles said she didn't complete her treatments," Buffy said look not at Dawn but at me. Silently telling me what might happen. Dark Willow isn't someone I want to mess with again, last time her and I went at she seriously kicked my ass.

"We might as well get some sleep," I say. "There isn't anything we can do tonight," I say leading Buffy out of the room, and closing the door on Dawn's complaining. "Why didn't you tell me what Giles said?" I ask once we are back in our bedroom. "Don't you think I would have liked to know that little piece of information," I say turning away from her, but then I hear her sniffling. "Buffy," I say walking up to her and wrapping my arms around her and she clings to me desperately as if she is going to disappear. "It's going to be okay," I say.

"I just want my best friend back," she says in a muffled reply.

"I know baby, I know," I say kissing the top of her head. "I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation to this," I say further moving so that I can look her in the eye. "I'm sure of it," I add.

...

That night I didn't sleep. I couldn't. The whole Willow thing along with the Spike thing weighing on me. I almost thought Buffy wasn't going to be able to sleep either but eventually she cried herself to sleep, and I was there the whole time. I didn't move away until I was sure she was asleep. Now I'm downstairs, sipping a cup of coffee, and staring off into the nothingness. I don't know how she deals with this kind of this day in and day out. Buffy isn't someone who breaks down like she did, she holds everything inside, and deals with it her own way. But even this was too much for her, but I know this would even be too much for me.

The guy that tried to rape her is back, and says he got his soul for her.

Her best friend is supposed to come back.

But instead she's disappeared and possibly evil.

It's a lot for one girl to handle, especially when there is this threat of a new evil making its appearance. I don't know what to do for her. I don't know how to make all of this better.

I have never felt more helpless than I do right now.

...

Buffy's cell phone ringing woke me up the next morning, but of course she is still sound asleep. I have no idea how she sleeps through the things that she sleeps through. Reaching over her I grab it off the bedside table. It's Xander. "You better be dying," I say rubbing the sleep away from my eyes. Buffy and I didn't have to be up for another hour.

"Is Buffy awake?" He asks.

"No," I say soundly annoyed and I hoped he noticed.

"Well wake her, you two need to get down here, there is a dead body on the site," he says hurriedly.

"Then call the police," I say angrily. Buffy makes some weird noise and then rolls over. "Xander," I say getting up. "We do not investigate every dead body in Sunnydale, there are people who do kill people, normal people," I comment.

"Oh I know that Faith," I ignore the jab. "But this guy was skinned alive, like..."

"Like what Willow did," I say suddenly realizing. "We'll be right there," I say. Closing her phone I look over at Buffy's sleeping form. She isn't going to like this and I know this is going to break her just a little more, a part of her that believes that people can change is going to break. "B," I say leaning over and kissing her on her shoulder. "Wake up," I say smirking and pushing her off the bed.

"Faith!" I yell.

"Time to go," I say getting up and walking into the bathroom. "Xander called, he needs us," I say tossing her phone on the bed as I walk into the bathroom.

"I hate you," she says rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"No," I comment throwing my t-shirt at her. Her eyes widen as she catches it. "You love me," I say throwing my shorts at her. That gets her attention and she gets up joining me in the bathroom. I may not be able to help her with her problems all the time, but when I can't, I sure as hell can help her forget about them for a little while.

...

Author's Note: REVIEWS PLEASE! Update soon.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the show or any of its characters, if I did the show wouldn't have ended…cuz I'm greedy like that and I miss my BTVS. LOL

**Title**: Time, It's All We Have

**Pairings**: Buffy/Faith

**Summary**: Faith never went to prison, she did kill the guy, but she let Buffy help her, and because of that help, they have become what they did in my story…re-write of season 7.

**Chapter Sever: Same Time, Same Place Part Two**

~Faith's POV

By the time Buffy and I finally got out of the shower, I'm pretty sure that if Xander's situation was deadly he would have been dead. "Xander needed us and you go distracting me like that," Buffy says with a towel wrapped around her body. "Next time," she says leaning in closer to me. I look up from her from where I am sitting on the bed. I can smell the strawberries from her strawberry scented shampoo. I close my eyes, flashing back to only moments before when we were both naked in the shower. When Buffy's hands were roaming all over my wet, naked body. "Be slower," she says leaning back only slightly enough to bring her lips to mine. I can't help but laugh into the kiss. This is the Buffy that only I get to see, the one that isn't burdened with the weight of the world, and saving the lives of people who don't even know she's out there fighting for them. Sometimes I wonder what she would have done if I never came around, if she had to fight this burden all alone. "What's wrong?" She asks moving so that she is straddling my legs, running her fingers through my hair and spreading light kisses on my face.

I look at her slightly, as much as I could because she was on me. "Nothing, baby," I say lifting her up and I feel her legs wraps around my waist. I smile at the feeling of her body pressed so tightly against mine. "Come on B, Xander said he had something important to show us," I say setting her down lightly. "Besides," I say leaning so closely to her that she'll be able to feel my breath on her lips. I smirk as I watch her eyes flutter closed. "There is always later," I say leaning all the way in and lightly kissing her on the cheek.

"Promises, promises," she says dropping her towel and I can't keep my eyes from roaming over her body. The tautness of her muscles showing. God, she really does have an amazing body. "Did he say anything about what exactly he came across?" She asks as she rummages through her closet looking for something to wear.

I let myself get lost in the sight of her body, before mentally smacking myself. We had our fun, now it is time for us to get into slayer mode and go out and protect the world from things they wouldn't understand. "No, not really, just that we we're needed," I pause clipping my bra behind my back. "At the high school." I say looking up at her as she peeks around the corner, looking at me, scared. "Don't worry," I say tightening my belt around my waist. "He checked in on Dawn and he said she is fine, it was at the construction site I guess," I say walking over to her and wrapping my arms around her from behind."I'll go down and make us some coffee," I say kissing her bare shoulder.

"Love you," I hear her say as I make my way out of the bedroom.

...

When we got to the construction site I could see that there were no cars in the parking lot, which means that Xander sent his crew home for the day. That would normally be good news, but that also means that whatever Xander found here is bad. We approach a ladder and I see Xander standing below, but that isn't what causes my breath to catch in my throat. No that honor goes to the body lying at his feet, a dead skinless body. "Hey," I say grabbing a hold of Buffy's arm before she goes down the stair. Knowing what happened with Willow this past summer I know Buffy is going to have her suspicions, and I also know that this hits home to both Xander and Buffy. "I'm gonna look around," I say looking around slightly. "Give you guys some time to talk about this, okay?" I say looking her in the eye, trying to read her, and once again I am unsuccessful.

"Okay," she says turning to look at Xander for a second before looking back at me. "Just be careful, whoever did this can still be here," she says leaning in and kissing me lightly before descending the ladder. Xander turns at the sound of the ladder and looks at me, he smiles but the smiles doesn't reach his eyes and I know he is thinking about Willow. I just smile and wave back before walking in the other direction.

...

~Buffy's POV

I take once last glance at Faith's retreating back before my eyes settle on Xander. He is just looking down at the body, but I know he isn't thinking about the person lying at his feet. No, his thoughts are on Willow. She did this same thing this past summer, to Warren, the man that killed her girlfriend Tara. And not only was this bad but after she did this she went on this world ending thing, it was some scary stuff and if she is back and in this condition Sunnydale is in trouble.

"Morning," he says when I come to stand beside him. "I sent everyone home, and called you right away when I found this," he says gesturing to the body.

"Boy," I say taking the site in. "I can't wait til I'm not the first person called for this sorta thing," I say stuffing my hands in my pockets and wishing Faith was standing beside me.

"How can someone do this, I mean I can't even look at it," he says fighting to look at the body. See, told you he wasn't looking at her before.

"Funny," I say staring straight at it. "My eyes can't seem to look away," I pause. "Stupid eyes."

"You think..."

He trails off and I can feel his eyes looking at me. He is thinking the same thing I have been thinking since I saw the body laying here. Neither one of us want to say it, admitting to this would make our worst fears come true. The only thing Xander and I want is for Willow to come home. It hasn't been the same without her here. I mean ever since I came to Sunnydale it has been the three of us. Me, Xander and Willow, also on the rare occasion there would be Giles too. But mostly it was just us three. Now along the way there have been new additions, like Anya, Faith and Tara but at the core of everything there was still the three of us.

So when Willow isn't here it feels like something is missing, a part of the group. And the group doesn't seem to work right without this part. I don't know if Willow did this, and honestly I don't even want to think about her doing such a thing again, but I have to let it cross my mind, I mean I'm the slayer and it is something that needs to be done. And if Willow is evil again than once again I am going to have to fight and try to kill my best friend. That isn't something that is easy, and especially since last time she kicked my ass.

Not to mention how embarrassing it was to get saved by Giles...we won't go there...ever.

Faith still makes fun of me for it.

"Maybe Willow is back," I say finally. I don't look at him though, I don't want to see the sadness in his eyes. For as long as it has been the three of us, Willow and Xander were best friends long before I came along. So I know it is doubly hard for him.

"Where's Faith?" He asks me.

"I don't know," I comment, cocking my head to the side to get another view of the body. "She said she was gonna look around for some clue or something," I comment tilting my head back to normal.

"When are you going to tell me?" I look at him confused. He just looks at me and smiles. "The ring, on your finger, you were gonna say something right," he says.

"I was waiting for Will," I say turning away from him. "Now, shh, dead body, sadness," I say scrunching my eyebrows.

"Yeah because we are always so serious," he says turning and walking away and after a few seconds I do the same. "Maybe it isn't Willow, maybe there is some skin eating demon out there or something," He says in a hopeful tone.

"Here's to hoping," I say as we approach the car. I notice Faith leaning against the same typing something in her cell phone, prolly texting Dawn at school, which I asked her not to do, but then again she never listens to be anyways. I swear she is worse than a teenager.

"Just for the record," Xander says stopping me short of the car. He jabs his thumb back in Faith's direction. "I approve," he says with a smile before walking towards his car saying hi to Faith on his way by.

She is looking at her phone so therefore she doesn't see me as I approach. Which is fine, I can sit and stare at her forever. "Have I told you how much I love you today," I ask walking up to her, closing her phone, and wrapping my arms around her waist.

"Um," she says pretending to think. "I don't think so," she says smirking as she leans in and places a soft kiss on my lips. "So," she says pulling back and flipping her hair out of her face. "What's the verdict?" She asks walking around to the driver side.

I place my hands on top of the car and look at her. "I don't know," I say looking back towards the body, which I can't see now. Xander said he is going to come back and bury it where no one in the site will be able to find it. I offered to help, but he decline, saying it was something he needed to do. I didn't ask why, Xander has always been a mystery to me. "But it doesn't look good for Will," I say looking back at her.

...

I want to go speak to Spike to see if he had any news on what might have been happening. But Faith said no, she said she and Xander would go. I tried fighting her on it but I knew I didn't stand a chance, no matter what I said she wasn't going to let me go anywhere near Spike. I know that her and I are going to have a hard time with the whole Spike issue because she knows, deep down, that we are going to need him for whatever is coming. And needed him means that he and I are going to have to work together eventually, and she is just going to have to deal with it.

"Can I speak with Rupert Giles please," I say falling onto the couch and dropping my arm over my eyes. I know Giles was in a hurry to get Willow back here because he knew she thought we didn't want her. He thought that she would be able to finish her training here at home, around friends and family who loved her. But the only problem is, we don't know where she is.

"Buffy?" Giles' question voice pulls me away from my thoughts on Willow and back to the problem. "Has something happened?" He asks concerned.

"Yeah," I say moving into a sitting position. "It's about Will," I say waiting for him to say something positive but instead he says nothing so I continue. "We don't know where she is," I say taking a deep breath.

"What do you mean you can't find her?" He says, and I think I can hear him cleaning his glasses. "Her flight was a direct flight, and I watched her get on the plane," he explains.

"That isn't the only problem," I add.

"Oh."

"We found a body," I say and he just stays silent. "It was skinned," I pause. "Like Willow did to Warren this past summer," I explained. "Giles I don't want to believe that she had anything to do with this, I even have the guys looking into other possibilities, but I can't find her," I explained to him. It is times like these that I miss Giles the most, he always knew what the demon was that was doing the badness, we all have to look it all up. And that takes up precious time I could be out there hunting it.

"You're doing everything you can Buffy," he says. "But give Willow the benefit of a doubt, she might surprise you." He says pausing. "I have to go, I'll call you tomorrow," he says and we say our goodbyes before he hangs.

...

~Faith's POV

"So are we going to talk about what Spike said?" Xander asks me as he gets in the passenger side of the car. Spike, he's crazy, I think living the school basement is doing something to him, something that isn't good. Last time I saw him he looked like he was pulling through but today when I saw him he looked like the same Spike I saw in the school basement the day Buffy got her job. I don't understand what is going on with him but until I figure it out Buffy isn't allowed to be alone with him, under no circumstances. In a matter of fact she isn't allowed around him unless I am with her. "Faith?"

"What?" I ask turning to Xander.

"Are we going to talk about what Spike said?" He asks me again as I pull out of the parking lot.

"No," while we were in the basement Spike was spitting out things about me and Buffy and my feelings for Buffy. And how Buffy will never be able to love me the way she loved Angel and that I was just another bump in the road or something until they found their way back to one another. I don't know. I tend to not listen to crazy Spike, he doesn't make much since.

"Buffy loves you Faith, you have to know that," he says placing his hand on my arm.

"I do," I say stopping the car and looking at him. "Buffy hears nothing of what Spike said, understand?" I ask and he nods. "She doesn't need to worry about me and my feelings when she has to concentrate on Willow and where ever she is," I explain putting the car back into drive and continuing down the road.

...

Author's Note: Sorry about the lack of updates, I'll try to get another one up soon.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the show or any of its characters, if I did the show wouldn't have ended…cuz I'm greedy like that and I miss my BTVS. LOL

**Title**: Time, It's All We Have

**Pairings**: Buffy/Faith

**Summary**: Faith never went to prison, she did kill the guy, but she let Buffy help her, and because of that help, they have become what they did in my story…re-write of season 7.

**Chapter Sever: Same Time, Same Place Part There**

~Faith's POV

When we get back to the house, Anya is sitting on the couch, Dawn is at the computer, and Buffy is leaning over her shoulder as if she knows anything she is seeing on the screen. I love Buffy I do, but she isn't so smart when it comes to computers and things. "What's going on?" I ask as I close and lock the door behind me. Buffy used to think I was crazy because I lock the door, she always says anyone that's going to hurt us isn't going to be able to come in without an invitation. That was until she woke up one day and found out that someone had been in the house, while we were all asleep. Not a demon someone, just a someone, someone…a regular human being. Nothing happened, they didn't hurt anyone and they didn't take anything, but still someone had been in the house, someone she didn't know, and someone without and invitation. After that day she started locking the door as well.

"We're locking up possible demons that could be doing this," Buffy says walking over to me and we share a kiss. I smile at her as she looks at me. "Is everything okay?" She asks with a worried expression on her face.

"Five by five," I say wrapping my arm around her back as I lead her back to where Dawn is sitting at the computer. "Don't worry B," I say kissing her temple and walking to the other side of the table, leaving Buffy at Dawn's side. "Whatcha find?" I ask sitting down next to Dawn, while looking at Xander across the room. We share a glance, both of us looking at Buffy for a split second before sharing one more glance. I can't get what Spike said to me out of my mind, everything that he knows about Buffy and her past, everything I know as well. I just can't help wondering if maybe there is some truth in everything he is saying.

"There is a possible demon, or two, that it could be," Dawn says scrolling through the computer pages. "But it is very vague and some of the facts add up but then again some of them don't." She says looking at Buffy and then looking at me.

"Well," Buffy says taking a seat across from me. She looks at me for a second, still with a worried expression, and then she looks back at Dawn. "What are our choices?"

"Well Will for one," I mumble.

"No." Buffy snaps. She looks at me. "Willow did not do this, and I refuse to believe that she did," she says eyes locked on mine.

"Buffy you have to keep her in mind," I say in all seriousness. "And you know that, that's why your fighting it," I explain. "Baby I know you don't want this to be something that you have to think about, she's killed before…" I trail off.

"Like you did," her hands hit the table and she is standing up, looking at me from across the table.

"That is not fair," I say pointing at her. "And you know it," I comment getting up from where I am sitting and heading upstairs. I can't believe she would say something like that to me, she knows how hard it was for me after I murder Finch. She knows how close I was to the 'darkside' or so she calls it. Everything she did for me, how she pulled me back from so much that could have went wrong. I was so close to turning my back on her and all the feelings I had for her.

But she didn't let me leave, she held onto me, she told how she felt for me and it was our feelings, the love we created, that helped me get through everything. It is what saved me. And seeing her use that moment against me, well it wasn't something I was expecting to see any time soon. "Faith?" I hear someone say behind and without turning around I already know who it is.

Although it isn't who I want it to be. "Go away," I say walking into mine and Buffy's bedroom. "I'm not in the mood to talk right now, I just want to be left alone," I explain.

"You know she didn't mean it, she's just frustrated, she wants to prove that Willow didn't do this," I turn and look at them.

"That's all I want to too!" I shout. "But I am not going to be naïve and not think about her as a possibility," I explain stepping further into our bedroom. "She has to think about that, what Willow went through wasn't something small, and it isn't something that is just going to go away because of some schooling and teaching about magic, trust me," I pause looking back at them. "I know."

"Faith," this time it is the voice I want to here. "Xander, please," I look as Buffy places her hand on his arm, which causes him to turn and walk back downstairs. "Help Dawn narrow do the choices," she says but her eyes do not even look at him, they never leave mine. "I'll be down soon," she says as she closes the door behind her as she enters the room.

"There is only two words I want to hear you say," I say looking at her, fighting the tears that want to spill over.

"Faith, listen," she starts.

"Those so aren't the words," I say looking at her, holding out my hand so she stops advancing on me.

"Baby," she pushes my hand away and wraps her arms around my neck. "I'm sorry, I said that," she says kissing me on my cheek. "You know that, I'm just frustrated," she kisses my other cheek. "Forgive me," she kisses my lips softly. "Please."

I look at her and I can tell that she really is sorry, and I want to say I forgive her but I can't. She used something that was extremely personally to both of us against me in a room full of people who know our past and know everything that happened. And also know how hard it was for me to get past that. "Buffy," I say taking her hands and moving them away from my body and gently pushing them back towards her. "I think you should sleep on the couch tonight," I say side stepping her and walking out of the bedroom.

"Faith…"

"We've got a demon to find," I say not looking back at her and instead I just continue walking on.

…

"He's better than sonar," Xander says as he follows Spike through the woods. I think me telling her she had to sleep on the couch kind hurt her because she's been trying to make it up to me this whole time. She knows I'm not happy about her going to Spike for help. She knows Spike is a sore subject with me, especially after everything that happened between the two of them, and she knows that it bothers me that she wants to forgive him and let him back into our lives.

"There," Spike says looking back at us.

"It's a big rock," Xander says. "Give it up to Spike, he found a big rock." Xander says looking back at us as well.

Buffy still hasn't made eye contact with either one of the boys. "There's a cave in it," Spike says moving back a branch so that we can see it clearly. This causes Buffy to look up. "I'm insane, what's his excuse," he says walking past us, and if you ask me he was a little too close to Buffy.

"Let's go," I say letting go of Buffy's hand and leading the way.

…

Entering the cave it is dimly lit by a fire in the far corner. But other than that it doesn't seem like anything else is in here. But that's when we hear it, both Buffy and I, a sound to the left of us, but still we see nothing. "Is it just moving too fast or is it just invisible?" Xander asks as he moves back against the wall.

"The website didn't say anything about it being invisible," Dawn says moving closer to Buffy. Buffy places her hand over her sisters as she enters slayer mood. "Maybe we should research more and come back," Dawn says in a scared tone.

"No," Buffy says looking at me. "We're here now, it ends now," as if on cue Dawn screams and when we turn to look at her she has a long gash along her stomach. "Dawn!" Buffy yells holding onto her sisters as she begins to fall to the ground.

"Paralyzing nails," she says as she stiffens up.

"We need to get her out of her Buffy," I say lifting her sister up. "We'll trap it in here and come back later when we learn more about it," I explain leading Dawn and Xander out of the cave. Buffy silently follows behind. I know she wants to find this thing to get Willow off the hook, but we don't need to find it to get it off the hook. I convinced that Willow isn't the one behind this, which doesn't explain where she is, but at least now we know she isn't out there killing people. "Xander," I say to him as I place Dawn in his car. "Take her home and find out everything you can about this demon, and then call us," I say closing the door.

"What are you going to do?" he asks as Buffy comes up next to me wondering the same thing.

"Anya is at work right?" I ask and he nods. "She's the only one that has seen Willow," I explain. "She told me, and maybe Willow isn't missing, maybe we just can't see her," I say. "I don't know how that is possible, we can ask Giles about it later, but something doesn't add up. Why would Willow come all the way back to Sunnydale and only talk to Anya, after she destroyed the Magic Box?" I ask. "Something has happened to Willow and that is why we cannot find her," I say. "Just trust me on this, okay." I say when they are still looking at me with confusion. He nods and gets into the driver side, starting the engine and driving off.

"I didn't think you'd want to be alone with me," Buffy say reaching down to take my hand. And I gentle pull it away. "Faith."

"This isn't about us Buffy," I say looking at her. "We are not okay right now, but Willow and what is happening is more important than what is happening between us," I say walking away from her. "Once we finish this then we can talk, but until then, just drop it." I say snapping at her slightly. Closing my eyes I stop and turn back to where she is standing. "I'm sorry," I say walking up to her and kissing her lightly on the forehead. "I just want to finish this okay, please," I ask.

"Okay," she says nodding. She reaches down and takes a hold of my hand and this time I let her. Making Buffy sad isn't something I like to do, and that's what happens when I don't allow her to do the small things, like holding my hand. So I'm going to give her this, but if she thinks she sleeping in the bed tonight she has another thing coming.

…

Walking into the Magic Box I notice Anya behind the counter. "When do you think you'll have this place up and running again?" The Magic Box was everything to Anya, well except for Xander, and Willow took it away from her. She destroyed the only thing in the reality that she loved more than Xander. It was her place. For a long time Anya didn't know her place in the world, she was confused and lost, mostly because she was a thousand year old demon living the life of a teenager. I would be confused too; hell I was when I first arrived in Sunnydale and met Buffy. I wanted everything she had, everything, and I tried to be her friend, but I couldn't. She wasn't supposed to exist with me, it was never meant to be, and I know that is the main reason why we never got along in the beginning, I was jealous of everything she had. But now I am where I need to be, by her side, with her, in her life, loving her. This is what I was meant for; this is why we exist together.

"Probably never," she says throwing something across the room. "How could she do something like this to me? I was her friend." She asks confused looking up at us.

"She wasn't in control, it was her grief," Buffy explained stepping further into the room.

"What are you doing here?" She asks changing the subject. I don't blame her. Willow is a sore subject for everyone involved. She hurt a lot of people doing what she did, and she isn't going to be forgiven easily, at least not by some of us. Buffy on the other hand, has already forgiven her.

"We need your help," I say stepping over some pieces of the walls that Willow collapsed. I never knew what happened her, the fight that happened between Buffy and Willow, looking at the damage I'm glad I wasn't here. "You for some reason are the only one that has seen Willow since she's been in town," I explain walking closer to her, leaning against the half broken counter.

"What do you mean?" She asks confused.

"None of us have seen her," I say gesturing around as if everyone else was with me. "She has only appeared to you," I point to her. "We don't know how and we don't know why, but that is the case. We need you to help us find her," I explain.

"I already know where she is," Anya says looking away from us.

"What?" Buffy asks speaking up for the first time and stepping up next to me. "Where is she?"

"She went to some cave, to find that demon that skinned the boy at Xander construction site," she says as if it is everyday conversation. Well for us it is.

"That cave," Buffy says looking at me. "That cave that we just closed off until we went back. Willow is stuck there and it is all our fault," she says jumping over something and then running out of the Magic Box. I hear Anya say something behind be but I don't pay her any attention, instead I just run after Buffy, hoping to catch up before she does something stupid and also hoping that Xander calls with a way to kill this thing before we get back to the cave.

…

"Buffy you need to wait," I say catching up to her right outside the cave. "We can't just going running in there without knowing how to kill that thing," I say holding onto her arm. Buffy pulls away from and then takes a step forward but I jump on her stopping her. "Buffy stop!" I say straddling her hips and holding her to the ground.

"Get off of me, I need to save my friend," she says fighting up, but I don't give. "God Faith what is your problem? Who knows what is happening to Willow in there and we are just sitting out her, waiting, for what a phone call? That isn't what we do, we're slayers, we'll roll with the punches," she say rearing back and punching me across the face sending me flying off of her and into a bush. "I'm going to save my friend, don't try to stop me."

"I'm not trying to stop you Buffy, I'm trying to help you, I don't want you to get hurt," I say getting to my feet and grabbing her arm, gently this time.

"Faith," she says turning around, but once again pulling her arm away from mine. "We can't do this," she says. "We can't be afraid that one of us is going to get hurt all the time," she says. "This is the life we live, a dangerous one, and it isn't guaranteed that both of us are going to make it home at the end of the night," she explains.

"I don't accept that," I say throwing my hands to the side.

"To bad," she says rearing back and punching me again, this time affectively knocking me out, my block of her punch being too slow.

…

When I finally come to I'm in my own bed in my own room. Reaching up I touch my head, flinching at the pain. Rolling over I notice a body beside mine. I can't believe she actually had the nerve to lay down beside me. Putting my feet into her back I affectively push her off the bed. I hear a hard thud but before she has a chance to wake up I jump of the bed, pick her up, and hold her against the wall. All she can do is look at me in shock. Seeing the look in her eyes I lower her to the ground.

"Faith, what the fuck," she says holding her hand to her throat.

"You knocked me out Buffy, why?" I ask looking at her. "I'm sorry for kicking you out of bed, literally."

"I had to Faith," she says walking closer to me and placing her hands on either side of my face, leaning in and placing a soft kiss on my nose. "You have to realize that this is a tough life we live in, and that I might not come back one night," she says wrapping her arms around me. "I know you're afraid of people leaving you Faith, because of your mother and what happened when you were little," she holds my face, which forces me to look her in the eye. "But I'm never leaving you Faith…not on purpose," she says kissing me.

"Buffy," I say against her lips.

"Faith listen to me," she says making us both sit down. "I love you, forever," she says.

"I know you do," I say looking up at her. "But what if it isn't enough?"

"What do you mean?" She asks. "It is enough, Faith I can't live without you, and I don't want to." She says quickly. Holding her hand up she points at the ring. "You asked me to marry you Faith and I said yes."

"I know you did," I say standing up. Walking over to the window I see Spike standing outside, like he does every night. "But can you honestly tell me that you feel nothing for Spike?" I ask looking at him.

I feel her arms wrap around my waist as she comes up behind me. "I know he's there." She whispers in my ear. "I know he comes here every night and watches me sleep," she adds. "But I never leave your bed Faith, it is your bed I will continue to come home to, forever. I do not love me and I never did and I never will," she pauses. "I can't help that I want to help him, and save him from whatever is plaguing him." She moves so that she is standing in front of me, but she is looking out the window at him. "There is not future for me and him," then she turns and looks at me. "My future lies with you Faith…it always has." With that she leans in and presses her lips to mine, with a kiss so full of love, I can't even deny her feelings for me anymore.

Maybe that was our problem all along. I was just afraid of our love, that I didn't love her enough. Maybe I just didn't believe in the love we had. Maybe that was the cause of all our problems and drama. Wrapping my arms around her I look out the window and I notice Spike is gone. And for the first time in a long time, I know that Buffy is mine, and only mine.

…

~Buffy's POV

Waking up to the sun in my eyes isn't something I like, but waking up with Faith's arms around is something I love, so I will endure the sun waking me up every morning. Slowly I remove Faith's arms from around my waist and I hear her grumble something and it takes everything I have not to laugh. "Baby, I'm going to check on Willow," I say leaning over and giving her a kiss. "I'll be back." With that she lets me go and I get out of bed, slip on a pair of pajama pants and tank top and walk out of my mom's old room and down a familiar hallway to my old room.

"Morning," She says to me while I walk inside. "I thought this was Xander and Anya's room?" She says looking at me.

"It was," I say walking over to the bed and sitting down beside my one time best friend. "They decided to take the new room that he's building," she explains.

"How are affording an add-on?" She asks smiling.

"Giles sent the money," I say pausing. "With word that you were coming home, we figured it would be best if we all lived together," I explain. She nods. "Will…" I trail off looking at her. "How did you do it?" I ask. "How did you make yourself invisible?"

"I didn't do it on purpose," she says smiling. "I was so scared about coming home, back to the people that I hurt, that it just sort of happened," she says laughing slightly. "So you and Faith are getting married," she says looking at me.

"Yup," I say smiling showing her the ring Faith got me.

"It's beautiful," she says. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," I say smiling, for the first time about the engagement. "You were the first one I wanted to tell Will." I say looking at her. "Telling you makes it feel real." I say leaning in and hugging her. "I'm really glad your home Will." I say as she grimaces in pain. "What's wrong?" I ask looking at her with concern.

"I'm not all the way healed yet," she say meditating. "I just don't have enough energy, so I'm trying to draw some from the earth, and well that's just taking more of my energy." She explains.

"Well here," I say reaching out and taking a hold of her hand. "Take some of mine, I'm just full of energy," I say smiling at her. She takes a hold of my hands and smiles in thanks.

I missed my best friend.

With her home.

Everything can return to normal.

…..

Author's Note: Hey everyone, I know it has been a long time. But I am almost finished with my other story and once I do that I will be able to update this one more often.

Feedback please.


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